Make New York Post a Preferred Source There’s no amore lost between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the local Italian-American community.
Mamdani is skipping the Christopher Columbus Day parade up Fifth Avenue on Monday, The Post has learned.
The snub isn’t a huge surprise as the mayor has often railed against the explorer, bashing him as a colonist that abused and displaced Native Americans.
In a June 2020 social media post, Mamdani gave the finger to a statue of Christopher Columbus in Astoria, Queens and said, “Take it down.”
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani will not be attending Manhattan’s Columbus Day Parade on Monday. Kevin C. Downs for NY Post But Italian-American civic leaders said the mayor’s no-show is the latest example of Hizzoner downplaying the community’s contributions to the Big Apple and US.
“He’s disrespectful to the Italian-American community and not coming to the Columbus Day parade confirms it,” said Angelo Vivolo, chairman of the Columbus Heritage Coalition representing more than 50-Italian-American organizations.
“We know he hates Columbus. But the parade celebrates the rich culture and heritage of Italian-Americans.”
Mamdani also riled up local Italian-Americans when he released an ethnic enclave map that listed little-known communities in the five boroughs but omitted Little Italy and Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.
People watch the annual 79th Annual Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue on October 09, 2023 in New York City. Getty Images Mamdani did issue a nearly three-minute video statement celebrating Italian Heritage Month.
He paid tribute to Italian immigrants who helped build the city and honored East Harlem Rep. Vito Marcantonio, who fought for Social Security, unemployment benefits and civil rights.
Mamdani, a staunch critic of Israel who has accused the Jewish state of genocide, also boycotted the Israel Day parade in May.
