Hundreds of Jewish residents protest outside of NYC Mayor Mamdani's home

Hundreds of Jewish community leaders and residents are currently protesting outside of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's home to demonstrate their support for Israel and bring attention to rising antisemitism in the city.

The event was prompted by an increase in attacks on Jews this summer, which included a stabbing near a synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and a disruption of services at the Great Refrom Synagogue in August.

Rabbi Benjamin Kraus of SAR told reporters that, "We are here. This is the largest city in the Diaspora, and we are not going anywhere."

Organizers of the protest said its goal is "for students to show that they are proud to be New Yorkers, Jews and Zionists and to continue to be so - regardless of what others say."

Some parents and Alumni of the Ramaz Jewish school, which helped to organize some of the protest, saw the event as a political protest against Mamdani and signed a petition to cancel it.

Mamdani 'welcomes' the protesters 

When asked about the planned protest earlier this week, Mamdani responded, "I welcome them. They can hold a prayer rally, or I've heard some even describe it as a protest. Whatever it is, they have a place to do it outside the Gracie Mansion."

Mamdani also added in the same conversation that he would "probably be somewhere else across the city."

The timing of the event comes just days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled visit to New York City to speak at the United Nations General Assembly. 

Mamdani had previously called for Netanyahu's arrest following arrest warrants put out by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza.

When reporters asked whether he would join or call for protests during the prime minister's visit to the city, Mamdani said, "To New Yorkers, I have never encouraged them to protest," he said. "What I have always told them is that they have the right to do so in the city. We respect that right. And this is a city that is proud of the Constitution, proud of the First Amendment; we'll continue to do so."