cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/7489412
cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/23631
Demonstrators occupied the lobby of a Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan on January 27. Protesters took over the lobby, demanding that the corporation leave Manhattan and stop cooperating with ICE.
Manhattan, New York, Tuesday Evening: The New York City Police Department (NYPD) arrested dozens of protesters on Tuesday evening at an anti-ICE protest inside a Manhattan hotel, marking the first mass arrest under the new administration of New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani.… https://t.co/f9nuDIsaF8 pic.twitter.com/H6vwc9sajz
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) January 28, 2026
Hilton has faced backlash nationwide due to the fact that they are housing ICE agents all around the country, including in Minneapolis, where tens of thousands of people are protesting ICE and demanding justice for Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Protesters were arrested by the NYPD unit in charge of counterterrorism and protest control, the Special Response Group (SRG).
Zohran Mamdani, along with other social-democratic officials within the Democratic Party, have recently called for ICE to be abolished in the wake of popular outrage against Trump’s immigration crackdown. At the same time, he has distanced himself from calls he made to defund the NYPD during his campaign; he even apologized for his statements on the racist character of the police, committing that his office would work together with the police to “keep New York City safe.”
But those of us who protested the genocide in Palestine know that NYPD doesn’t care about our safety. They are the ones who crack down on us when we take the streets and our school campuses to demand an end to the United States’s complicity in the murder of tens of thousands of people.
When asked about the arrests at a press conference, Mamdani reiterated his promise to work with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to disband the infamous SRG unit because, “We don’t believe there should be a unit that has both counterterrorism responsibilities and responsibilities to responding to protests.” Mamdani went on to say that that NYPD has the responsibility to respond to protests before going on to say, in the very same breath, that he praised protesters who are standing up against ICE. This double-speak shows exactly the contradiction facing Mamdani as mayor of the finance capital of the United States.
While politically Mamdani has room to call for the abolition of ICE because the slogan has become so deeply felt among the population and so could make people more sympathetic to the Democratic Party, he is at the head of one of the most brutal, racist police forces in the country; NYPD has collaborated with ICE for decades and today represses us for protesting their attacks on immigrants. Put simply, you cannot be a socialist who fights for the rights of workers and the oppressed and also be the head of NYPD which represses their movements.
“La migra! La policía! Son la misma porquería.” We have learned the meaning of those words from our immigrant siblings who are fighting ICE terror. ICE and the police are parts of the same system that targets and oppresses immigrants and the entire working class — both parties of the ruling class support that system. It’s time that we — and especially the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) who organized tens of thousands of people to elect Mamdani on the promise that he would fight for the rights of the working class and oppressed — break with the Democratic Party. DSA must put all its efforts toward organizing against ICE in our workplaces and schools, at the same time that we build the forces for a socialist party for and made up of the working class — one that represents our interests and puts all its efforts to build the national strike we need to defeat the reactionary offensive against the most vulnerable of our class.
The post The First Mass Arrest on Zohran Mamdani’s Watch Targeted Anti-ICE Protesters appeared first on Left Voice.
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I don’t think anyone engaged in that protest didn’t expect to be arrested. They were inside the hotel rather than on the public sidewalk to force just such an action. Getting arrested to generate coverage was part of the plan. So what exactly is this story about?
If I had to guess as to the why, it’s to paint Mamdani as “not as left wing as we were shown/expecting” which… I mean… he’s a democratic socialist, he’s still far better than Cuomo just letting ICE do whatever and infinitely better than some right wing nut job who would encourage ICE to do even worse.
It’s still good to hold him accountable to his established positions, but tearing him down because he’s not a perfect leftist is kinda Left Voice’s entire MO.
It’s still good to hold him accountable to his established position
Like “protesting ICE is good?” Because that is one of his established position yet he’s out here cracking down on ICE protests.
You got any sources on that? because everything I’m finding is his very public support of the people protesting at the Hilton and is actively working to keep ICE out of NYC.
yet he’s out here cracking down on ICE protests.
I swear, people on this site have no fucking idea how the government works.
Yes I’m sure that he personally directed the police to carry out their very clear role of trespassing trespassers.
I’m all down with people killing ice in the streets like the shitstains they are, but like another commenter said, these people knew they would be arrested and it was the point.
I highly doubt it was to frame Mamdani.
Yeah… I’d say there are four increasing categories of executive discretion that can apply to policing protests:
- Stopping or not stopping police from preemptively breaking up lawful protests
- Stopping or not stopping police from normal enforcement against protests in public spaces (i.e., laws against blocking traffic or causing disturbances)
- Stopping or not stopping police from proactively breaking up protests in private spaces (i.e., lending police to corporations to use as private security)
- Stopping or not stopping police from normal law enforcement against protests in private spaces (i.e., actively withholding protection from the target of the protest).
It seems like this is a case of 4 or possibly 3.
Getting arrested was probably part of the plan, but forcing state repression is only a useful strategy because state repression exists. The alternative—having their ICE collaborationist business disrupted—was still the better conclusion here.
Private property existing isn’t state repression though. It’s morally cool to fuck with their private property, but it’s not repression to acknowledge the business owner (or manager probably) does get to call the cops to trespass people fully on their property who refuse to leave.
Getting arrested is a statement of convictions, you’re going to do something even though it’s illegal because the cause is worth it. It’s not a statement that whatever you’re being arrested for is inherently an illegitimate law.
So the defrosters were inside a hotel protesting, intending to get arrested, yet the headline is implying that Mahmdani is sending in the jackboots to mass arrest street protesters.
Well, LeftVoice got my click, so good for them, dishonest shitwads. I’m so, so fucking sick of “journalists” constantly prevaricating in the headlines.
inside the hotel? why give them a legal reason?!?
Not only that, but a legal obligation.
Because getting arrested means more coverage. Which is a good thing, but also not some big scandal these weird accounts want to make of it. There’s a long history of protesters getting intentionally arrested as part of their protest.
Why spin that coverage to try make Mamdani look bad? What does that accomplish?
Clicks. I doubt the activists coordinated this action with LeftVoice
Effective resistance is almost never legal.
Just ask Luigi.
Libs downvoting this is wild 🤣
Hop off this man’s dick for one moment of your life…
Wait, so now it’s libs that love Mamdani? Man I can’t keep track anymore…
When you engage in civil disobedience- arrest is expected. It drives coverage and engagement. It has nothing to do with dick riding, and everything to do with this being a poorly written hit piece about something literally every single politician ever has done and would do. From the farthest left to the farthest right. Criticize him for not being far enough left if you want, but don’t act like this arrest is anything except normal protest action.
Oh no did you just call this a hit-piece? That is super embarrassing for you 🤣
I read the article. Did you? I’ll give you the opportunity to kindly point out the “hit-piece” within. It hardly criticizes the guy lol. Just admit you had an emotional reaction to a headline so we can move on.
Damn you really lack reading comprehension, huh? I read the entire thing. It’s literally a piece crying about how Mamdani isn’t left enough, and he’s not REALLY a Democratic Socialist. People like you make every one of us on the left look really stupid. Just read the article again, and then consider deleting your clearly uninformed comment to save face for yourself.
It’s literally a piece crying about how Mamdani isn’t left enough, and he’s not REALLY a Democratic Socialist.
You’re lying. I’ll give you the opportunity to provide some quotes to show your work. Otherwise you can just take the L and move along.
“La migra! La policía! Son la misma porquería.” We have learned the meaning of those words from our immigrant siblings who are fighting ICE terror. ICE and the police are parts of the same system that targets and oppresses immigrants and the entire working class — both parties of the ruling class support that system. It’s time that we — and especially the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) who organized tens of thousands of people to elect Mamdani on the promise that he would fight for the rights of the working class and oppressed — break with the Democratic Party. DSA must put all its efforts toward organizing against ICE in our workplaces and schools, at the same time that we build the forces for a socialist party for and made up of the working class — one that represents our interests and puts all its efforts to build the national strike we need to defeat the reactionary offensive against the most vulnerable of our class.
Literally their final paragraph is a cry to have everyone that voted for Mamdani to create a new party, with the implication the entire article being thay he isnt doing enough as a Mayor. How about YOU take the L.
Nooooooo this is so embarrassing for you bro 😂
The paragraph you quoted is literally the DSA saying they need to separate themselves from the Democratic party. This is like the mildest criticism possible and you’re calling it a hit-piece… Am I speaking with an adult?
You’re the only one that is embarrassing themselves- but whatever you need to tell yourself. Have the day you deserve. <3
When asked about the arrests at a press conference, Mamdani reiterated his promise to work with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to disband the infamous SRG unit because, “We don’t believe there should be a unit that has both counterterrorism responsibilities and responsibilities to responding to protests.” Mamdani went on to say that that NYPD has the responsibility to respond to protests before going on to say, in the very same breath, that he praised protesters who are standing up against ICE. This double-speak shows exactly the contradiction facing Mamdani as mayor of the finance capital of the United States.
While politically Mamdani has room to call for the abolition of ICE because the slogan has become so deeply felt among the population and so could make people more sympathetic to the Democratic Party, he is at the head of one of the most brutal, racist police forces in the country; NYPD has collaborated with ICE for decades and today represses us for protesting their attacks on immigrants. Put simply, you cannot be a socialist who fights for the rights of workers and the oppressed and also be the head of NYPD which represses their movements.
The nut of it, right here.
How far is Mamdani actually willing (arguably able) to go in dismantling the municipal police and surveillance state?
This is a false dichotomy. You can be anti-ice, and support the protesters, and still recognize that it was illegal for them to be on private property and that they knew they would be arrested. The whole point was the arrest and the coverage.
it was illegal for them to be on private property
You can’t talk about legalism in defense of a fascist coup. ICE Agents are a clear and present danger to NYC residents. Their presence in the city is a gun aimed at the heads of every municipal resident. Any hotel that is harboring them provides material support to what is little more than a federal funded cartel hit squad.
The whole point was the arrest and the coverage.
The point was to get the Hilton building staff to cancel the reservations for ICE Agents.
NYPD officers interceded to disrupt that effort in defense of a criminal paramilitary.
Mamdani, as mayor of NYC, has administrative authority over these NYPD officers.
Who’s defending a fascist coup? The discussion here is about the powers of his office and his personal political sway. Despite the direction that American politics have been heading, no elected official in America is supposed to be a despot.
He’s not the guy personally answering a 911 call and telling his jack boots to suit up and crack heads. The law [currently] states that a group of protesters is not allowed to occupy a private hotel no matter how just or well intentioned their motives. Some low level pig took the call, some other pigs drove over, and the protesters got arrested for their demonstration. This is pretty cut and dry unless some new details come out about Mamdani directing a hostile response or allowing brutality toward the protesters.
What he has the ability (and responsibility) to do is pressure the DA to drop any charges. He can stump for legal changes that resist/impede ICE or replace mayoral appointments who show signs of supporting our fascist occupation. He can warn the police chief that any violence toward ICE protesters will put her out of a job.
He can’t disband the police force, eject ICE, and unilaterally usher in a socialist utopia. I guess either:
A. That reality is beyond the naive logic of the auth left or
B. That these articles and talking points are intentionally inflammatory for the sole purpose of causing infighting
You can absolutely talk about what’s legal and what’s not. It’s fantasy to assume the government will not do anything against illegal acts, even if they are morally correct.
