New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned chants supporting Hamas after a protest outside a synagogue in Queens spiralled into a bitter confrontation between rival demonstrators.

The protest, held on Thursday night in the Queens neighbourhood of Kew Gardens Hills, saw pro-Palestinian demonstrators chant, “Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here.” Video clips of the chants spread rapidly online, drawing condemnation from elected officials across New York’s political spectrum.

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Speaking on Friday after being questioned by reporters, Mamdani said the language used at the demonstration was unacceptable.

“That rhetoric and those displays are wrong and have no place in our city,” he said.

In a later statement, Mamdani said that chants in "support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city""As I said earlier today, chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city. We will continue to ensure New Yorkers’ safety entering and exiting houses of worship as well as the constitutional right to protest," Mamdani wrote on X.

The episode has become an early test for Mamdani as he navigates the fraught intersection of pro-Palestinian activism and antisemitism in a city that is home to the world’s largest Jewish population outside Israel. The controversy also comes amid broader tensions surrounding Mamdani’s Middle East positions. On the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks, he issued a statement mourning Israeli victims and hostages while also sharply criticising the US and Israeli governments over the war in Gaza. That statement drew a fierce response from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which accused him of repeating “Hamas propaganda”.Despite the criticism, Mamdani has repeatedly said he opposes antisemitism and has pledged to protect Jewish communities, including providing security for synagogues when requested.