Full Breakdown
Mayor Zohran Mamdani Booed at Staten Island National Night Out
8/7/2026, 7:14:22 AM
Core Event: Booed Off Stage at Staten Island New York Police Department (NYPD) Celebration
On Tuesday, August 4, Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared at the 43rd annual NYPD Patrol Borough Staten Island National Night Out Against Crime on the Midland Beach boardwalk. The event drew roughly 3,500 residents. Video shows the mayor beginning a brief greeting—“Happy Night Out against crime”—before the crowd erupted in boos, jeers and profanity. Within a minute, Mamdani stepped away from the podium and left the stage, later posing for photos with a few attendees.
Background & Context: Public-Safety Strategy and Budget Decisions
Mamdani’s first National Night Out tour highlighted a public-safety agenda that pairs traditional policing with a newly created Office of Community Safety. In the 2025-2026 budget, the mayor and City Council kept the NYPD’s authorized uniformed headcount flat at 35,000, dropping a proposed increase of 580 officers. The administration argues the city can meet safety needs at that level, while progressive council members and police-reform advocates say resources should be directed to housing, mental-health and substance-use services.
Data & Statistics
- Attendance: ~3,500 people.
- NYPD reported 381 shooting incidents through July, down from 412 the prior year.
- Murder count for the same period: 149, below the 174 recorded in 2017.
- Major-crime incidents fell 12.7% in July.
- In the 2025 mayoral election, Mamdani received 23 % of the Staten Island vote, the borough’s only loss for him.
Official Statements & Responses
Mayor Mamdani thanked officers, saying, “I want to say thank you to every man and woman who is serving the NYPD, both in this neighborhood and precinct and across the five boroughs.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised the partnership with Jessica Tisch, stating the results “strongly speak for themselves.” Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal called Mamdani and Tisch “a perfect pairing,” noting that crime was down while “fun is definitely up.” The Police Benevolent Association linked staffing concerns to its pending contract renewal, which expired Aug. 1, 2025, and warned that lower pay could accelerate officer departures.
Criticism & Opposition
Fox News commentator Joey Mannarino argued the boos reflected the “reception he actually deserves” for Mamdani’s “soft on crime” stance. Rafael Mangual said Mamdani “did not come out in support of the NYPD” and “refused to call for the prosecution of the perpetrators.” Police unions warned that a flat headcount leaves officers “overstretched.”
On-the-Ground Reports
Social-media videos captured crowd members shouting “Get off our Island,” “Fuck you,” and flashing thumbs-down signs as the mayor approached the podium. Artist-activist Scott LoBaido attempted to confront Mamdani, was restrained by police, and suffered a cardiac arrest, receiving emergency care at Staten Island University Hospital.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All outlets agree Mamdani was booed and left the stage within a minute. Descriptions of the crowd’s intensity vary, but no official NYPD statement on the incident has been released. The mayor’s office was not quoted for comment in the immediate coverage.
Verbatim Quotes
- “New York’s communist mayor Zohran Mamdani just got the reception he actually deserves. Booed, jeered, and screamed off the stage at an NYPD Night Out event in Staten Island in under a minute.” — Joey Mannarino
- “I want to say thank you to every man and woman who is serving the NYPD, both in this neighborhood and precinct and across the five boroughs,” — Zohran Mamdani
What’s Next
A petition led by a 9/11 widower seeks to bar Mamdani from the September 11 anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero, scheduled for September 11.
