Shocked city police are outraged that Mayor Zohran Mamdani is telling New Yorkers to take to the streets to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits the Big Apple in September.
That according to a report in the New York Post Friday, with union leaders and cops on the street saying the mayor’s words will only add to the already massive workload for the New York Police Department in 2026.
The department already had its work cut out for it during the FIFA World Cup, the Knicks NBA title and a huge American 250 celebration that brought millions to the city.
Now, police “will have to keep their guards up as the lefty mayor fans the flames,” the Post reported.
“The mayor’s activist posturing puts police officers on the street in a terrible position,” NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry told the outlet.
“Protests during the UN General Assembly are nothing new, but when the mayor of the city is actively calling for demonstrations, violent agitators will assume they have permission to cause as much havoc as possible,” he said.
The Post described Mamdani as “obsessing” over Netanyahu since his campaign last year.
Mamdani had promised to have the Israeli prime minister arrested if he set foot in the city, citing a 2024 warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
However, the mayor was forced to retract that vow this week by admitting he didn’t have the legal authority do it.
Still, the “obsession” continues.
“This is a city where, if anyone feels a level of frustration or opposition, protest is something that we will always respect,” he told reporters at City Hall this week. “That New Yorkers can express themselves, whether they are in support or in opposition, no matter on whatever topic.”
He added, “And I’ve always said that when we respect our Constitution, we also respect our First Amendment.”
New York cops already put in long hours to handle the unprecedented attendance rush this summer, working 12-hour shifts to deal with tourists and the Independence Day and World Cup events.
Now, their mayor is adding to the workload, several told the Post.
“Cops just came off a crazy six weeks between the Knicks and the World Cup, working long hours every day, and now he’s going to subject them to unnecessary problems,” one officer said.
Another cop in Brooklyn called Mamdani “nothing more than a cheap politician looking for cheap headlines” by making the arrest promise when he likely knew, or should have known, he didn’t have the power as a local official to do it.
Another department veteran told the Post, “When will he realize that he is not an activist anymore?”
“He should be governing the city and trying to keep the peace, instead of inciting a riot with his rhetoric,” the cop continued. “He is basically telling the crazy people to do what they want, and there will be no repercussions. If a cop gets hurt, it will be on him, but that is the least of his worries.”
Police union officials said that despite the mayor’s urging of street demonstrations the NYPD will be ready when the UN General Assembly, which Netanyahu is expected to attend, kicks off in September.
“Mayor Mamdani still acts like he’s leading a protest movement instead of running the largest city in America,” Scott Munro, president of the NYPD Detectives Endowment Association, told the tabloid.
Munro thought turnabout would be fair play.
“If Mayor Mamdani wants a reminder of how important the First Amendment is,” he said, “perhaps New York’s law enforcement unions should organize a lawful demonstration outside Gracie Mansion and let him experience firsthand the consequences of encouraging mass protests without guardrails.”
Breitbart contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.