Protester Attacks New York City Mayor Candidate Over Alleged Support for Hezbollah in Manhattan

SadaNews - The socialist candidate for New York City Mayor, Zahran Mamdani, was assaulted and expelled in Manhattan by a protester known for attacking politicians in the city.

A video showed the incident occurring as Mamdani was leaving Foley Square, where he had participated in a rally supporting New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is facing charges in a banking fraud case and for providing false statements.

The protester, Raul Rivera, a 55-year-old from the Bronx, was seen chasing Mamdani and shouting at him while security personnel escorted him to his black car.

Rivera, who was previously arrested last June for allegedly biting a volunteer from Mamdani’s campaign, hurled a series of insults and accusations at Mamdani as he got into the car, demanding that he renounce Islamic law and Hezbollah, accusing him of evading the issue.

As Rivera got closer to the car, a member of the campaign team intervened and pushed him away after the protester yelled at him with foul language, to which Rivera responded by pushing back several times while waving a flag bearing the slogan of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The incident also saw the City Public Defender, Jumaane Williams, passing by who commented on the situation in front of the cameras, stating that one of the merits of democracy is allowing people to express their opinions even in this manner. He added that in authoritarian regimes, such people would be imprisoned, but in America, their right to express themselves is protected.

Before leaving the vehicle, the driver shouted at Rivera, telling him to "find a job," before driving away with Mamdani inside.

Rivera is known in political circles as a person who constantly protests against politicians from various parties, regularly attending their events to disrupt them. A Democratic council member described him as someone who "bothers everyone" and as a "failure."

In June, Rivera assaulted a 29-year-old volunteer during a press conference in Lower Manhattan after she tried to intervene between him and Mamdani. She was injured on her hand and taken to the hospital for treatment, and Rivera was later arrested on charges of assault.

Rivera's recent outburst seems to stem from Mamdani's remarks on the second anniversary of the October 7 attack, where he accused the Israeli government of waging a "genocidal war" in Gaza with U.S. involvement and described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies as "apartheid" against Palestinians, which sparked widespread outrage among both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Mamdani refused to comment on the recent incident, and Rivera's position remains unknown. The socialist candidate has faced previous criticisms for refusing to retract his use of the phrase "Generalize the Uprising," despite later attempts to clarify his support for Israel and his rejection of anti-Semitism.

The confrontation came shortly after Mamdani defended Attorney General Letitia James against the Trump administration, labeling the federal indictment against her as "glaring political retaliation," asserting that her prosecution represents a "clear abuse of justice," and adding that Trump should be holding himself accountable rather than attacking her.

Last year, James won a civil judgment against Trump and his organization for inflating the value of his real estate assets, which led to a $355 million fine, although it was later overturned on appeal, triggering outrage from the U.S. President.

Source: New York Post