New York’s socialist mayoral candidate, Zahran Mamdani, was attacked and kicked by a protester while participating in a political event in Manhattan’s Foley Square in support of Attorney General Letitia James.

A video clip of the incident showed protester Raul Rivera, 55, from the Bronx, chasing Mamdani and shouting at him, directing a series of insults and accusing him of supporting Hezbollah and refusing to disavow Islamic law. A member of the campaign team intervened to prevent direct contact, while Rivera was waving a flag bearing the logo of US President Donald Trump.

Rivera is known as a controversial person who constantly protests against politicians of various trends. Last June, he assaulted a volunteer from the Mamdani campaign during a press conference, which led to his arrest on assault charges.

The latest incident comes against the backdrop of Mamdani’s controversial statements about the war in Gaza and harsh criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which sparked widespread criticism from both the Democratic and Republican parties, in addition to his defense of Attorney General Letitia James against the Trump administration and accusing her of attempting “political revenge.”

Mamdani did not make any comment on the latest incident, and Rivera’s position is not known, while the socialist candidate has faced previous criticism for his controversial statements about “generalizing the intifada” despite his later assertions of support for Israel and his rejection of anti-Semitism. (Russia Today)