Clashing Protests Outside Zohran Mamdani’s Queens Office Over Columbus Photo and Mayoral Bid

Astoria, Queens — July 21, 2025 — Tensions erupted outside Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani’s district office on Monday as Italian-American protesters and Mamdani supporters held dueling demonstrations sparked by a resurfaced 2020 photo showing Mamdani flipping off a Christopher Columbus statue.

The protest, organized by the Italian American Civil Rights League, condemned Mamdani for what they viewed as disrespect toward Italian-American heritage. Some participants held signs and waved Italian and American flags, while others shouted slogans such as “You are a disgrace!” and “How is he going to represent the city if he is giving a finger to Christopher Columbus?”

Supporters of Mamdani countered with their own rally under the banner Italians for Zohran, voicing support for his mayoral campaign. The pro-Mamdani group chanted “Socialism!” and carried signs defending Mamdani’s record and platform. At one point, a demonstrator shouted “MAGA is Mussolini,” drawing a sharp line between the two groups’ political ideologies.

The standoff took place in the streets of Astoria, drawing a heavy police presence to maintain order as crowds on both sides grew throughout the afternoon. Videos from the scene captured heated exchanges, patriotic symbolism, and ongoing disputes over Mamdani’s past statements and his political vision for the city.