Zohran Mamdani promised Thursday to show left-wing politics can succeed as he took over as New York mayor for a term sure to see him cross swords with US President Donald Trump.
Thousands of people gathered in freezing conditions in the United States’ largest city to celebrate the 34-year-old Democrat’s inauguration after his rapid rise from relative anonymity just a year ago.
“They want to know if the left can govern. They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved,” Mamdani said outside City Hall.
“We will do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else: we will set an example for the world.”
In the 24-minute speech, he added: “Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously.”
Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor, emphasised cost-of-living issues that were central to his campaign, pledging to help those “betrayed by the established order”.
Left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also spoke before some 4,000 ticketed guests.
“Thank you for giving us, from coast to coast, the hope and the vision that we can create government that works for all, not just the wealthy and the few,” said Sanders, a former presidential hopeful.
At one point, the crowd broke into chants of “tax the rich”. Mamdani wants to raise taxes on New York’s wealthiest residents.
Thousands more thronged downtown Manhattan, many wearing yellow and blue beanies emblazoned with “Zohran”, to watch the ceremony on large screens.
“This is the first time that either of us in our entire lives has felt some kind of political hope at all,” 31-year-old scientist Jacob Byerly told AFP, standing alongside his wife Auburn.
Read moreZohran Mamdani takes office as first Muslim mayor of New York City
Ambitious agenda
Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, comes to power as Trump pushes a hard-right agenda nationally.
It remains to be seen whether he can deliver on his programme, which includes rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses.
Trump’s approach could prove decisive. The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticised Mamdani, although the two held unexpectedly cordial talks at the White House in November.
One potential flashpoint is immigration, as Trump expands raids and a broader crackdown on migrants across the United States. Mamdani has vowed to protect immigrant communities.
Before the November vote, Trump threatened to slash federal funding for New York if Mamdani won, branding him a “communist lunatic”. The mayor has said he believes Trump is a fascist.
Mamdani mentioned Trump only once in his speech, reflecting on the city’s diversity and noting that some Trump supporters had also backed him in the mayoral race.
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Symbolic inauguration
The inauguration was rich in symbolism.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud, carried out a private midnight swearing-in at a disused subway station.
Mamdani’s office said the understated venue beneath City Hall reflected his commitment to working people.
In a first for the city, he was sworn in using Qurans.
Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at the age of seven and enjoyed an elite upbringing, with only a relatively brief stint in politics.
To compensate for his inexperience, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides drawn from previous mayoral administrations and former US president Joe Biden’s government.
Mamdani has also opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom had warned of a mass exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate leaders have since played down those claims.
A vocal defender of Palestinian rights, he faces the task of reassuring New York’s Jewish community — the largest in the US — of his inclusive leadership.
A small group of protesters holding Israeli flags appeared during the ceremony, blowing air horns as Mamdani delivered his speech.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
