Mamdani’s X post about Columbus statue ignites Italian American backlash – Washington Examiner
new York city mayoral candidate Zohran mamdani sparked backlash from teh Italian American community after an old social media post resurfaced in which he shared an image of a hand giving the middle finger to a Christopher Columbus statue, accompanied by the words “Take it down.” The post, originally made in June 2020 during the wave of protests following George Floyd’s death, called for the removal of Columbus statues-a contentious issue as many statues were being taken down or covered at the time.Italian Americans, a meaningful ethnic group in the NYC area, criticized Mamdani’s comments as disrespectful. Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition, and the National Italian American Foundation voiced strong support for preserving Columbus statues, emphasizing Columbus’s historical meaning and his symbolic importance to Italian American heritage.The controversy also drew reactions from public figures like joe Piscopo,who rejected calls to remove the statue. The issue highlights ongoing tensions around Columbus monuments and cultural identity in New York City.
Mamdani’s X post about Columbus statue ignites Italian American backlash
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani drew the ire of the Italian American community after a resurfaced social media post by the self-described democratic socialist denigrating a statue of Christopher Columbus.
Mamdani’s X account posted a picture of a left hand giving a middle finger to a Columbus statue in June 2020. The image was found and shared again this week on social media, bringing noteworthy attention to the five-year-old post. Above the photo, Mamdani wrote, “Take it down,” seemingly calling for the statue’s removal.
In 2020, amid the nationwide riots after George Floyd’s death, left-wing agitators called to take down statues of Christopher Columbus around the nation, with many trying to do so illegally. Several Democratic mayors succumbed to the political pressure from these groups. They ordered statues of Columbus removed altogether or covered up, including the then-mayors of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, and Philadelphia, Jim Kenney.
Italian Americans represent a significant ethnic group in the New York City metropolitan area. An estimated 2.6 million people of Italian heritage live in the Big Apple. When Mamdani’s old post resurfaced, many Italian American organizations and individuals rebuked it, according to multiple sources.
Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition, was critical of Mamdani’s comments and told the New York Post they were “disrespectful to the Italian American community.”
“We will defend Columbus Day and Columbus statues,” Vivolo said to the New York Post.
“He is being disrespectful to the Italian American community. If you offend one community, you offend all communities,” he said. “I don’t think he will be mayor for all the people of New York City.”
The National Italian American Foundation told the Washington Examiner it supported maintaining the Columbus statue in New York City, citing his contributions to human civilization.
“As an organization devoted to the promotion and preservation of Italian American heritage, NIAF unequivocally supports maintaining the Columbus statue in New York City,” said NIAF. “We believe that Christopher Columbus’ courageous voyage was the catalyst that initiated over 500 years of immigration to the Americas by people from every corner of the Earth — all of whom were seeking a better life for their families.”
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President Donald Trump scolded left-wing efforts to demonize and devalue Columbus Day earlier this year. He blasted Democrats for doing “everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus” and vowed to bring “Columbus Day back from the ashes.” Entertainer, radio show host, and author Joe Piscopo, who had a conversation with Trump about the significance of Columbus Day before the president’s comments about the explorer, was also critical of Mamdani’s social media post about wanting to remove the Columbus statue.
“Not gonna happen,” the famous Italian American said on X.
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