Not everyone welcomed New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, to Staten Island on Wednesday afternoon, as he faced protests outside the Istanbul Bay Authentic Mediterranean Restaurant. A protester wearing a “Trump girl” T-shirt and holding an American flag shouted at the 33-year-old self-described socialist as he exited the restaurant’s back door, Fox news reported. “Go back to where you came from. We don’t want you on Staten Island,” the individual declared. During Mamdani’s third anti-Trump event of the week, protesters outside the restaurant drowned out the introductory speeches with cowbells, sirens, and megaphones.Despite the heat in the crowded restaurant and the opposition outside, Mamdani maintained a smile throughout the event and told reporters, “It saddens me to hear language of being told to go back to where I came from, and yet, it is not surprising because it is so much of what characterises US President Donald Trump’s politics.” Mamdani was hosting his third “Five Boroughs Against Trump” event of the week on Wednesday, reaffirming his commitment to protecting New Yorkers from President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration if elected mayor of New York City this November. “I will not let it dissuade me from continuing to come to Staten Island, from continuing to speak to New Yorkers, no matter where they live, no matter what politics they have,” Mamdani said in response to the protesters. “Because I know that just as there are Republicans who feel that way, there are others who are sincere in their questions.” Several protesters outside the restaurant told Fox News Digital that they planned to vote for Curtis Sliwa, CEO of the Guardian Angels, this November. “He’s the only one that could save our city,” Ed, a Staten Islander carrying a large American flag, said. Ed told Fox News Digital that he wanted to give Mamdani “a little surprise party” and let the socialist candidate know that his values do not represent those of Staten Island. “This is Trump country,” said Manny, another protester and Wall Street retiree who said Mamdani’s policies are “anti-Wall Street.” President Trump won Staten Island by 30 points in the 2024 presidential election, according to The New York Times’ data. Meanwhile, in neighbouring Brooklyn, former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the borough by 44 points. Tommy Banks, a native Staten Islander, said his message to Mamdani on Wednesday was simple: “Get out of town.” “He wants to make everything free. He can’t afford that. He’s a socialist. He don’t live that. We’re not socialist,” Banks said. Banks agreed with the other protesters outside the restaurant, telling Fox News Digital that “nobody else” could be mayor but Sliwa. “He’s a true New Yorker. He’s been fighting for New York all his life. Give him a chance to get in there,” Banks added. Another protester, Liz, shouted, “Mamdani’s a commie!” as the Democratic nominee departed in his SUV. Liz said she doesn’t like Mamdani because “he’s not a Democrat, he’s a communist.” She stated that Mamdani is trying to tempt New Yorkers with campaign promises like free childcare, free bus fare, and government-run grocery stores, but Liz warned it would be a “disaster” if he became mayor. When Mamdani declared victory in the Democratic primary, incumbent mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, called Mamdani a “snake-oil salesman” who would “say and do anything to get elected.” President Trump has often criticised Mamdani and his policies, calling him a “100% communist lunatic.” Staten Islanders who spoke to Fox News Digital outside Mamdani’s anti-Trump event on Wednesday largely echoed these sentiments, calling him a “commie” and criticising his socialist policies, which include freezing the rent, raising corporate taxes, and increasing the minimum wage. However, Shahana Masum, who sported a “Zohran for Staten Island” sticker on her purse and attended the event, told Fox News Digital that Mamdani is the person who is representing “me and my community.” Masum said she has also been told to go back to her country. To that, she responded, “You didn’t go back to your country, and I came here with dignity and with my visa, so don’t tell me to leave.”
