An advertisement on taxis that mocked Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s free bus initiative was swiftly taken down after a report was published by the Post. The ad featured the phrase, “I’m not going to hide my Jewish star for a free bus ride.”
Jamie Lowe, who is the executive vice president of the advertising agency Somo, mentioned during a video call that the ad was pulled from yellow cabs in response to complaints from the community.
“The article in the Post certainly stirred things up. The ads did have an anti-Mayoral undertone,” Lowe noted during the call on Tuesday.
He added that complaints came in regarding their ads and that he would just leave it at that.
Lowe later shared that he had discussed the issue with Ron Sherman of the Metropolitan Taxi Trades Board, which represents 25% of the industry, rather than the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) that Mamdani oversees at the moment.
“As highlighted in the Post, it’s seen as a slap in the face, and that poses a bit of a challenge for us,” Lowe told Stacey Stewart and Jenny McIntosh, representatives from JewBelong.
JewBelong, an organization focused on combating anti-Semitism, expressed that it was the first instance in five years of censorship on its advertising.
During the meeting, Lowe acknowledged his hesitation to upset Mamdani or other influential figures.
“I think personally, I’ll be cautious in running ads that criticize City Hall or the mayor,” he remarked. “The political nature of the comments and the reference to the mayor right now poses a challenge,” he continued.
Another distributor suggested that JewBelong alter the ad to eliminate the reference to Mamdani’s bus initiative, but they declined to do so.
Lowe clarified that his company retained the right to “reject or cancel advertising at any time without liability” according to their agreement with JewBelong.
JewBelong’s representatives accused Somo of censoring important campaigns against anti-Semitism.
“Why are Jewish voices being silenced in New York City at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise?” asked Archie Gottesman, co-founder of JewBelong. “This kind of response sends a chilling message that speaking out against hate is only okay until it makes someone uncomfortable.”
The Anti-Defamation League also criticized the cancelation of the ad, with CEO Jonathan Greenblatt expressing concern about the need for Jewish New Yorkers to sometimes feel the necessity to hide their identity.
“Suppressing this kind of awareness will not help reduce anti-Semitism, especially when incidents are increasing,” he stated.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission clarified that they had no involvement in the removal of the advertisements.
“TLC has not received any complaints related to these ads and did not request their removal,” said TLC spokesperson Jason Kirsten.
He mentioned that any action would require violations of their rooftop advertising rules, which were not at play in this instance.
Lowe did not provide further comments when approached.
Ron Sherman from the Metropolitan Taxi Trading Commission also declined to comment.
This advertisement controversy arises amid already strained relations between Mamdani and portions of the Jewish community.
Mamdani has expressed support for the boycott and divestment movement against Israel, accusing the country of committing grave atrocities in Gaza, and has even suggested he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal.
