Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner for New York City mayor and Democratic nominee, joined Senator Bernie Sanders at a town hall in Brooklyn to discuss the rising threat of oligarchy in the U.S. The event, part of Sanders’ Fighting Oligarchy tour, attracted approximately 1,700 attendees and focused on advocating for policies that support working communities over wealthy interests.
Mamdani criticized the City University of New York’s dismissal of professors aligned with Palestinian solidarity, igniting chants of “Free, free Palestine!” He emphasized that New York City’s governance should not cater to billionaires and called for a freeze on rent and tax increases for the wealthiest 1%. He received strong support from figures like Cynthia Nixon and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Sanders praised Mamdani’s grassroots campaign and highlighted ongoing struggles against oligarchs in the political landscape. He acknowledged the lack of support from mainstream Democrats for Mamdani’s progressive agenda despite his growing popularity and volunteer base. Sanders expressed urgency in mobilizing support ahead of the elections against candidates like Andrew Cuomo and current mayor Eric Adams.
Mamdani addressed concerns about immigrant communities, advocating for legal representation for New Yorkers in detention. He also prepared for potential national guard deployments under Trump, stressing the need for collaboration among leaders to resist such actions. The event concluded with Sanders rallying the crowd by emphasizing the power of the people against wealth.
