NY Mayor Mamdani Faces Pressure Over Police Commissioner

New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani is facing increasing pressure from the left wing of his political coalition, with socialist allies and pro-Palestinian activists demanding the dismissal of NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The calls intensified following a shooting incident on Thursday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, which injured a Dominican man while his five-year-old son was in the car. Daraisela Ovilla Shablia, a Democrat primary winner endorsed by Mamdani, called for the disbandment of the NYPD's Strategic Response Group (SRG) and Tisch's resignation, stating, "The NYPD's Strategic Response Group must be dismantled as soon as possible, and Commissioner Tisch must resign." A letter signed by seventeen elected officials and other candidates, identified as Democratic Socialists, asserted that Tisch should cease police support for ICE operations and dissolve the SRG, or face dismissal. Mamdani's decision last year to retain Tisch had previously reassured some moderate segments of the Jewish community and established Jewish organizations in New York. Tisch, who identifies as a "proud Zionist" and comes from a prominent Jewish family, was originally appointed by Mamdani's predecessor, Eric Adams. Organizations like UJA-New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council viewed her retention positively. Conversely, progressive groups had expressed reservations about Tisch due to her association with the Adams administration and past criticism of pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations. The anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, which supported Mamdani, also joined the calls for Tisch's removal, citing her "toxic Zionist politics" and collaboration between the NYPD and the Israeli military. Some on the left also criticize Mamdani for not fulfilling campaign promises, such as disbanding the SRG, ten months into his term. Mamdani also faced protests from pro-Palestinian activists at an event commemorating October 7th, where demonstrators called him a "traitor" and "Ziohran" (a portmanteau of his name and "Zionist"), accusing him of not doing enough for the pro-Palestinian agenda. Protesters chanted, "Mayor Mamdani, you cannot hide, we accuse you of genocide." The protests were so disruptive that organizers moved the event behind police barriers. Demonstrators criticized Mamdani for retaining Tisch, not preventing Israeli real estate events in synagogues, and for a plan to combat antisemitism that critics claim diverts funds to Zionist groups. Some of Mamdani's allies argue that the protesters do not represent his core constituency, with activist Avi Stein suggesting many were not his supporters and noting the presence of Maoist Communist Union and Trotskyist organization literature. However, Stein also acknowledged that some demands, like Tisch's retention, resonate with legitimate grievances within Mamdani's base.