NY Gov Hochul Faces Tax Protests at Mamdani Rally with AOC, Sanders

At a rally in Queens supporting Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign, thousands chanted "Tax the rich!" as Governor Kathy Hochul took the stage, forcing several interruptions. Mamdani, a socialist candidate, advocates for a $10 billion tax increase primarily targeting high earners and corporations, despite New York already having some of the highest combined state and city income tax rates in the nation. Hochul, who recently endorsed Mamdani amid her previous opposition to his tax plans, attempted to maintain her message against Republican policies but was frequently drowned out by chants from the crowd. Prominent progressive figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also appeared at the event, supporting Mamdani's agenda. Although Hochul acknowledged the chants with "I hear you," she has publicly expressed reservations about imposing new taxes on the wealthy. The rally highlighted tensions within the Democratic Party between establishment figures and its left-wing base over tax policies and economic inequality in New York City.