Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday condemned protesters who marched through a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Queens.
One X user posted a video showing protesters marching through Queens while chanting, “Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here.” Ocasio-Cortez reposted the video and condemned the march as antisemitic because it moved through a predominantly Jewish neighborhood.
“Hey so marching into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and leading with a chant saying ‘we support Hamas’ is a disgusting and antisemitic thing to do,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “Pretty basic!”
Anti-Israel protesters gathered in Queens Thursday, chanting pro-Hamas slogans during a demonstration that prompted the early closure of a daycare, two elementary schools, and a religious site, according to a local official. The protest followed social media posts by protest group Pal-Awda, which flagged the synagogue’s location and accused it of hosting an event tied to Israeli real estate activity.
Hey so marching into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and leading with a chant saying “we support Hamas” is a disgusting and antisemitic thing to do.
Pretty basic! https://t.co/Zx4wJPCPfP
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 10, 2026
Should protests supporting Hamas in Jewish neighborhoods be condemned?
New York State Assemblyman Sam Berger said local Jewish institutions chose to close after police alerted them to the protest. Berger said the demonstration disrupted daily life by forcing a daycare, two elementary schools, and a house of worship to shut down early. He urged Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to issue an immediate condemnation of the protest.
“A safety perimeter is in place, and I am confident in the NYPD’s ability to keep the community safe. That being said, I am extremely concerned that this protest is forcing a daycare, two elementary schools, and a house of worship to close early, upending the daily lives of working New Yorkers,” Berger wrote. “For our @NYCMayor who has said he ‘will always stand steadfast with our Jewish neighbors,’ I am calling on @ZohranKMamdani for an immediate condemnation of this demonstration.”
Mamdani denounced the language used during a protest outside a Queens synagogue Thursday night, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators voiced support for Hamas, and pro-Israel counter protesters hurled racial and homophobic slurs. He said the rhetoric and conduct displayed at the demonstration were unacceptable and do not belong in New York City.
In October, Mamdani drew criticism after declining to say whether Hamas should disarm and give up control of Gaza following President Donald Trump’s peace deal requiring the group to do so.
“I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure that’s affordable for all,” Mamdani said. “And as it pertains to Israel and Palestine that we have to ensure that there is peace. And that is the future we have to fight for.”
(Featured Image Media Credit: House Oversight Committee)
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