Thousands of people, including political figures, surrounded the new mayor of New York this Thursday, Democrat Zohran Mamdaniduring its inauguration in front of the city’s City Hall, with the streets frozen and temperatures below zero. The ceremony, which began around 1:30 p.m. local time, includes the inauguration of Mamdani and two other elected officials in the elections: the Ombudsman, Jumaane Williams, and the controller, Mark Levine, responsible for auditing public agencies. Some 4,000 people are officially invited, but the new mayor’s team, which already organized a first swearing-in yesterday evening during a private event, has convened this public event in the form of community celebration so that citizens can participate in the celebration.
Mamdani promised during his inauguration speech at a ceremony in front of thousands of people, a “new era” for the city and serve both the million people who voted for him and those who did not. “I know some view this administration with suspicion or disdainor they see the policy permanently broken, and even if only action changes ideas, I promise you this: if you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor,” declared the city councilor after the swearing-in, in which he was guided by left-wing senator Bernie Sanders.
Mamdani delivered a unifying speech, with allusions to the social diversity that characterizes New York, and He claimed the “courage” to keep his promises to fight the high cost of living and make the city affordable. “I was told that this was an opportunity to readjust expectations, that I should use this opportunity to encourage the people of New York to ask little and expect even less. I will not do it,” he said, advocating “the warmth of collectivism” against the “coldness of rugged individualism.”
For about 20 minutes, he engaged New Yorkers through his experiences growing up and living in the city, aiming to demonstrate that “the left can govern” and “set an example”, and argued: “I was elected a socialist democrat and I will govern as a socialist democrat.” Mamdani promised an “agenda of security, affordability and abundance” and suggested it would strengthen the civil service, criticizing that previous administrations “turned to the private sector while accepting the mediocrity of those who served the public.”
He also proposed “reform of the broken property tax system” and a “community safety service that would tackle the mental health crisis and allow police to focus on their jobs.” Thousands of people surrounded the mayor during his inauguration despite the intense cold, including politicians and citizens, including celebrities such as Susan Sarandon or John Turturro, and they listened attentively to the speech, applauding Mamdani’s calls to get involved in public life. Sanders, one of Mamdani’s inspirations, was responsible for guiding him through his swearing-in, but not before delivering a speech in which he called for “a government that works for everyone, not just the rich,” and praised the mayor for mobilizing voters in a world that is “losing faith in democracy.”
“He is not a communist and a radical”
“You shared your dreams and your hopes for the future of this city, and in doing so, you took on the Democratic and Republican establishment, the President of the United States and some extremely wealthy oligarchs, and you defeated them in the greatest political upheaval in modern American history,” he said. Sanders, who provoked public fury, claimed that Mamdani It’s not “communist” and “radical”as its opponents call it, because it promises things “that countries around the world have been doing for years,” like affordable housing, child care and free buses.
Mamdani, 34, will be the last of three politicians to take the oath of office and he will guided by Senator Bernie Sanders, although the speeches during the ceremony focused almost exclusively on him, starting with that of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, responsible for the opening.
“This is an inauguration for everyone, because electing this mayor and this vision is an ambitious effort. It calls all of us back to public life. It’s time for us to look at our neighbors, be with them and return to community life,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Ocasio-Cortez, who is the same age as Mamdani and also belongs to the far-left wing of the Democratic Party, noted that he is the first Muslim mayor, the first immigrant in nearly a century and the youngest in several generations, but he aspires to be “a mayor for all of us.”
New York imam advocates “proximity” with the most disadvantaged
Meanwhile, Imam Khalid Latifm, executive director of the local Islamic Center and Mamdani’s friend and mentor, gave an impassioned speech with other religious leaders behind him, in which he urged the mayor to work “near people who have problems” and not succumb to “pressure”. “Let’s not let someone have to choose between rent and dignity, between medicine and food, between staying and surviving,” he said.
Political figures present at the event include the two previous mayors, Eric Adams and Bill de Blasiosenator Chuck Schumer, prosecutor Letitia James or Harlem city councilor Yusef Salaam, as we could see in the broadcast of the event.
The event began with a interpretation of the American anthem by actor Javier Muñozknown for his starring role in the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” and hosted a recital by the poet Cornelius Eady, who specially composed a piece called “Test.”
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