NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani skips Columbus Day Parade, offers Italian Heritage Month video instead
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani didn't march in Monday's Columbus Day Parade, opening himself up to the same criticism he received after skipping the Israel Day Parade on Fifth back on May 31.
For some reason, politics is always on parade at the annual festivities celebrating Italian-American heritage. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio marched, but was frequently booed because of the controversy over the Christopher Columbus statue.
There was no booing this year because there was no mayor, but Mamdani did choose a special way to remember the contributions of Italian Americans.
He avoided the controversy of whether to celebrate Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day by issuing a video for Italian Heritage Month, and celebrating the work of someone he could identify with, Vito Marcantonio, a left-of-center progressive politician who served seven terms in Congress representing East Harlem, from 1935 to 1951, mostly as a member of the American Labor Party.
"Proof that a different form of politics was not only possible, but popular, Vito Marcantonio's politics were based around the idea, radical at the time, that the working class had the same material interests regardless of their race, religion, or ethnic background. But the fight for a life of dignity was shared just as the struggle was," Mamdani says on the video.
Since this is an election year, there were plenty of other politicians on hand Monday to fill the void created by Mamdani's absence.
"Hey, where's the mayor? The mayor should be here. All parades matter," former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa said.
"I think it's a disgrace he's not here. It's indicative of him being the most divisive mayor we've ever had. I want to be a governor that unifies people, not tears them apart," Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman said.
Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, came to the parade determined to attack Gov. Kathy Hochul, whom he is currently trailing in the polls.
"I'm going to talk about Kathy Hochul's record of failure and misery making people miserable, high taxes, high utility bills, unsafe communities," Blakeman said.
The governor's people, however, wouldn't let reporters near her to answer Blakeman's comments about the issues he'll bring up when they hold their one and only debate on Tuesday night. They used ropes to keep the press at bay.
Hochul has preferred to do press conferences highlighting her records, instead of engaging in any direct confrontation with Blakeman.
Later Monday, a spokesperson released a statement that says, "'100% MAGA' Blakeman has stood by Trump every time he's raised costs and attacked New York families. Your family is Governor Hochul's fight -- Bruce Blakeman only fights for Trump."
And while there was no Mamdani on Monday, there were plenty of other politicians on hand, like Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Congressman Tom Suozzi.
