Hochul, AOC, Mamdani condemn pro‑Hamas chants at Queens protest
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly condemned demonstrators who chanted "we support Hamas" while waving Palestinian flags during a protest in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Queens, after video of the event went viral on social media. Ocasio‑Cortez called marching into a largely Jewish area with that chant "disgusting and antisemitic," while Hochul labeled Hamas a terrorist group that calls for genocide of Jews and said such rhetoric is "disgusting" and "dangerous" and has no place in New York. Mamdani, who previously ducked condemning Hamas in a Fox interview last October, stated that chants in support of a terrorist organization "have no place in our city" and pledged to safeguard both houses of worship and the constitutional right to protest. New York Attorney General Letitia James also weighed in, writing that "Hamas is a terrorist organization. We do not support terrorists. Period." The episode underscores how Israel–Hamas protests in U.S. cities are colliding with concerns about rising antisemitism, free‑speech boundaries and public safety in Jewish neighborhoods.
📌 Key Facts
- Video shows protesters in a predominantly Jewish Queens neighborhood chanting "we support Hamas" while carrying Palestinian flags.
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez posted on X that leading such a chant in that location is "a disgusting and antisemitic thing to do."
- Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani both condemned chants supporting Hamas, with Mamdani calling such slogans incompatible with public safety in New York City.
- New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote, "Hamas is a terrorist organization. We do not support terrorists. Period."
📊 Relevant Data
In 2025, antisemitic incidents accounted for 57% of all hate crimes reported to the NYPD in New York City, targeting Jews more than all other groups combined and representing nearly one suspected anti-Jewish incident per day.
NYC Jews targeted in hate crimes more than all other groups combined in 2025, NYPD — The Times of Israel
According to FBI statistics for 2024, 69% of religion-based hate crimes in the United States targeted Jews, who make up approximately 2% of the U.S. population, with 1,832 incidents driven by anti-Jewish bias.
FBI Data: 69% of religion-based hate crimes targeted Jews — Jewish Federations of North America
Queens, New York, is home to over 150,000 Jewish residents as of 2024, representing nearly half of New York City's Jewish population and about 6% of the borough's total population of approximately 2.4 million.
A look at Jewish voters in Queens and their voting elections in 2024 — The Jerusalem Post
In a Harvard CAPS-Harris poll from June 2025, 25% of Americans expressed support for Hamas in the Israel-Hamas conflict, up from 16% in November 2023.
Americans split on support for Israel and Hamas, Harvard poll shows — The Jerusalem Post
📊 Analysis & Commentary (2)
"A City Journal opinion urging Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul to favor fiscal sobriety and practical governance—prioritizing budget stability and core services over symbolic, politically driven actions—drawing lessons from New York’s financial troubles."
"A Fox News opinion piece praises Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent condemnations of pro‑Hamas chants and his orders to protect houses of worship while urging him to show continued moral courage, explicitly reject anti‑Zionist rhetoric as antisemitism, and press legislative and police‑policy changes (buffer zones, patrol guidance) to secure Jewish safety in New York."
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time