Fans of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani were corralled into barricaded pens with no bathrooms or food at the “block party” for his inauguration on Thursday as New York City mayor.
“It’s definitely not a block party,” 30-year-old Astoria resident Danny Mahabir told the New York Post, explaining that he expected food and music on New Year’s Day.
Mahabir, who wore three layers of clothes to protect against the frigid 20-degree weather, said he and others were “just stuck behind the barricades watching it on TV.”
The crowd heard other far-left speakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), before Mamdani took the oath of office.
“I could’ve watched this from home,” said a 25-year-old Queens woman who declined to identify herself.
The security lines also reportedly caused some confusion and delayed entry for some attendees. Event organizers told attendees to arrive by 11 a.m. for the 1 p.m. ceremony, which started a half-hour later. Another woman, who did not want to be identified, told the Post she waited in line for 90 minutes to access the viewing area.
“The police officers have not been informed about anything; they don’t know which entrance or where anything is,” she said. “I’m really, really unhappy.”
Mamdani’s team warned attendees on their website that the event would not have portable restrooms because of “safety concerns,” and also said there would be “no food for sale within the block party.”
Even still, many who attended said they are passionate supporters of the new mayor.
“I’m not disappointed,” Turner said. “I came here to witness history. The past four years felt like hell under the previous mayor.”
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