NYCHA residents and activists first protested outside of Zohran Mamdani’s rent-regulated apartment building in Astoria, Queens.
New York State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani (DSA-Astoria) is the latest of a long line of New York City politicians, who ignore the decades of racist divestment of New York City public housing, leading to a proverbial demolition by neglect. Public housing residents have sought to put the RAD/PACT privatisation and demolition on the social agenda. Specifically, Mamdani’s family owned a luxury loft across the street from Elliott-Chelsea, now which faces demolition in an upward transfer of wealth to MAGA billionaire Stephen Ross. But Mamdani has deliberately ignored the plight of public housing residents facing forced relocation.
Residents, activists, and allies of saving New York City Housing Authority scheduled the protest outside of Mamdani’s apartment building to briefly occupy space outside his residential apartment after it became apparent that Mamdani was betraying the socialist democrat sensibility about keeping strategic, public assets in the public sector. Mamdani has an obligation to defend public housing from privatisation, but he remains silent as a prétexte to enable controversial public-private partnerships.
- RELATED : First round voters at one NYCHA public housing development voted for Andrew Cuomo over Zohran Mamdani, 59 per cent. to 29 per cent., rejecting the darling DSA/WFP/PSL newcomer [Fight For NYCHA]
Organisers behind the protest have a demonstrated record of engaging in non-violent, direct action. However, the Mamdani campaign dispatched multiple goons to deflect form the Democratic Party’s complicity in the neglect and surrender of public housing to some of the most wealthiest participants in New York’s real estate development industry.
The DSA/WFP/PSL supporters of Mamadani’s controversial mayoral campaign repeated harassed and menaced NYCHA public housing residents, activists, and allies.
One of Mamdani’s neighbors repeatedly shot the middle finger at public housing residents in an open display of hostility and aggression. He would later wave his hands in the face of one of the public housing allies in an attempt to incite violence, escalate tensions, and enflame passions. The hostile neighbor with anger issues repeated referred to one of the public housing allies as a “piece of sh!t.” An NYPD security detail intervened and removed the hostile neighbor from our protest.
Other Mamdani supporters demanded that public housing residents leave the public sidewalk of their gentrified (code word for White) block in Astoria. The racism, classism, and sexism was apparent : all trademarks of the bike lanes bro culture of the NYCDSA, the Working Families Party, and Party for Socialism and Liberation.
NYCHA residents and activists next protested outside of Zohran Mamdani’s Assembly district office, also in Astoria.
Following our peaceful protest, some of our activists travelled to Mamdani’s Assembly district office, also in Astoria, for an impromptu protest.
After our protest, some NYCHA tenants went to Mamdani’s district office in Astoria, where a separate protest was held by Jason Murillo, a City Council candidate.
At that follow-up protest, Mamdani’s office employees locked the doors to the entrance, preventing protesters from asking for a meeting about NYCHA. The protesters were warned that they would face arrest if they attempted to enter the office to speak with the staff of a mayoral candidate.
Two months ago, Mamdani held a secret, backroom meeting with Big Business élites in an attempt to gain their support for his collaborationist campaign for New York City mayor. But Mamdani didn’t have the courage to look public housing residents in the eye and tell them that he was prepared to sell them out in exchange for money and power. How very Democratic Party of him.