Socialist Mayoral Candidate Seeks Faculty Change at Brooklyn University Event

Zohran Mamdani, a socialist candidate for mayor of New York City, took the stage at an event hosted by Senator Bernie Sanders in Brooklyn over the weekend. His main message? Advocating for the protection of pro-Palestinian faculty members from dismissal.

When introduced by Sanders, Mamdani emphasized, “It’s crucial to acknowledge that educators should not face repercussions for advocating for human rights in Palestine.”

This isn’t the first time Mamdani’s made waves. Reports have emerged, citing that four adjunct professors at Brooklyn College claimed they were let go last June—not for their teaching abilities, but seemingly in response to their pro-Palestinian advocacy. Critics, however, argue that Mamdani’s position has inadvertently allowed anti-Semitism to fester on campuses with significant Jewish populations.

His comments were met with enthusiastic cheers—along with chants of “Free! Free Palestine!”—from a crowd of nearly 1,800 attendees at the “Fight Oligarchy” town hall at the Leonard & Claire Tow Center at Brooklyn College.

Sanders, who attended Brooklyn College in the late ’50s, used the platform to openly criticize Israel, asserting that the U.S. should prioritize a human rights-focused foreign policy rather than funneling billions into support for Israel.

He further declared the NYC mayoral race as a “test case” for American democracy, posing the question: “What do the oligarchs fear?” Sanders pointedly mentioned figures like Donald Trump and their opposition to Mamdani’s candidacy.

“They fear that Mamdani will set a precedent for what’s possible in this country,” he said, prompting applause from the crowd.

While the audience posed a few easy questions, it allowed Mamdani to showcase his campaign goals, which include raising the retirement age for certain civil servants and enhancing legal support for undocumented immigrants facing deportation.

However, the event was not entirely harmonious. A Jewish woman who attempted to engage Mamdani on making life safer for her community was reportedly sidelined at Sanders’ request, leading to tensions in the atmosphere.

Prior to her, a man wearing a Cuban flag T-shirt was removed from the venue for confronting Mamdani, shouting, “You’re a communist! This isn’t Cuba!”

Mamdani pointed out the changing narrative around democratic socialism, noting, “You know something’s shifted when simply identifying as democratic socialists isn’t enough anymore.”

Some critics labeled the event a blatant political rally, asserting it served to boost Mamdani’s campaign rather than being an impartial academic discussion. Former CUNY council member Jeffrey Wiesenfeld remarked on the partisan nature of the gathering, saying, “Sanders is coming to New York to support Mamdani.”

CUNY has not issued comments specifically about this event, although a statement noted that the Leonard and Claire Tow Center is available for rental by candidates.