Mamdani endorsement praised removal of Israeli hostage posters
Lopez reacted to a video showing two women removing posters calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas. “All I see are heroines,” he wrote on X
The endorsement committee backing New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has come under renewed scrutiny following the appointment of a controversial activist.
According to the New York Post, one of the committee’s newest members, Alvaro Lopez, previously praised individuals who tore down posters calling for the release of Israeli hostages in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks.
In a post shared at the time on X and later deleted, Lopez reacted to a video showing two women removing posters calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas. “All I see are heroines,” he wrote. When questioned by the New York Post, Lopez said he did not recall making the post, citing the chaos of the period, and suggested he may have been referring to the people depicted on the posters themselves.
Additional deleted posts attributed to Lopez have also resurfaced. In one message published shortly after the October 7 massacre, he accused Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres of having “the blood of Palestinian children on his hands.”
Lopez now joins a growing list of figures on Mamdani’s endorsement committee who have drawn scrutiny over their views on Israel. Other members include educator and children’s media personality Rachel Griffin Accurso, widely known as “Ms. Rachel,” and actress and activist Cynthia Nixon.
Mamdani has repeatedly faced criticism from opponents over what they describe as hostile positions toward Israel and controversial political associations.
A previous appointment by his campaign intensified those concerns: Catherine Almonte Da Costa, named head of recruitment, resigned on December 18 after antisemitic posts she had shared on X came to light. The messages included statements stigmatizing Jews and comparing certain New York subway lines to “Jew trains.”
Following the announcement of Ms. Rachel’s inclusion on the committee, the advocacy group StopAntisemitism issued a sarcastic response, saying it was prepared to assist Jewish New Yorkers considering relocating to states such as Florida or Texas, where they would “be safe.”