Mayor Mamdani's Columbus Day Parade Absence Draws Criticism

Mayor Zohran Mamdani's decision to skip New York City's annual Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue has sparked criticism from Italian-American community members and political figures, who view his absence as a snub.

Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman characterized Mamdani's no-show as "disgraceful" and "divisive." Speaking from the parade on Monday, Blakeman stated, "It’s indicative of him being the most divisive mayor we’ve ever had. I think that’s an affront to Italian Americans. The fact is that he is a very divisive guy. He’s got people at each other’s throats. As an elected official, you’re supposed to make people happy, bring them together."

Parade attendees echoed these sentiments. "It’s very sad. He should be here, he represents this city," said 33-year-old Brooklynite Mike Gullo, calling Mamdani’s absence "insulting" and "very disrespectful."

Mamdani's absence was not unexpected, as he has previously expressed critical views of Christopher Columbus, referring to him as a colonizer and criminal for his treatment of indigenous people. In 2020, Mamdani notably posted a photo of himself giving a middle finger to a statue of Columbus.

Some parade-goers expressed relief at Mamdani's absence. "It's better that he’s not here. It probably would have been controversial. Nobody wants to look at his face," said 60-year-old Anne Marie. "I think it’s horrible. I’m not surprised he’s not here."

Camile Staffe, 79, stated, "I’m happy" about Mamdani's absence, emphasizing, "It’s about the Italians. Italy doesn’t get enough credit but we contribute to America. They try to make it about indigenous people. It’s not fair. My grandfather helped build the Empire State Building."

Mamdani's administration also faced criticism in July for an "Immigrant Enclaves" map that notably omitted Little Italy, despite its iconic status. "Leaving little Italy off the map, he’s definitely against the Italian people. He’s trying to make them irrelevant. That’s not going to happen," Anne Marie commented.

Former mayoral opponent Curtis Sliwa, who is Italian-American, called Mamdani's actions "disgrazia," an Italian word for disgrace, stating, "He has said basically uufa to the Italian Americans and that is disgrazia."

Mamdani's views on Columbus and the exclusion of Little Italy from his administration's map have led many in the Italian-American community to feel alienated and unrepresented by the current mayor.