Two thousand New York City toddlers will receive free full-day child care this fall under the first phase of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s 2K rollout, with seats concentrated in neighborhoods that, he says, have the greatest economic need and child care gaps.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8, marked the 66th and 67th days of Zohran Mamdani’s term as mayor. amNewYork is following Mamdani around his first 100 days in office as we closely track his progress on fulfilling campaign promises, appointing key leaders to government posts, and managing the city’s finances. Here’s a summary of what the mayor did yesterday and today.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated a historic landmark for the Legal Aid Society over the weekend as he continued to grapple with the fallout of a Saturday anti-Muslim protest outside his home, Gracie Mansion.
Mamdani issued an official proclamation on Sunday celebrating Legal Aid’s 150th anniversary, applauding the public defense and civil legal services organization for its longstanding commitment to New Yorkers who cannot afford to hire a lawyer.
“On the occasion of its sesquicentennial, I am pleased to recognize this time-honored nonprofit organization that has fought by my side to help make New York a more affordable, equitable, inclusive, and just city for all who live here,” Mamdani wrote in his proclamation.
The proclamation kicks off a monthslong celebration of Legal Aid, starting with the March 6 opening of an exhibit at The New York Historical titled “Delivering Justice: 150 Years of The Legal Aid Society.”
Twyla Carter, Attorney-in-Chief and Chief Executive Office of The Legal Aid Society, thanked Mamdani for the honor in a Sunday news release.
“For a century and a half, we have stood alongside immigrants, families, tenants, and individuals who cannot afford to hire private counsel — fighting to ensure that justice is a right, not a privilege,” Carter said. “As we mark this milestone, we recommit to advancing dignity, equity, and access to justice for the communities we serve.”
Over the summer, Mamdani stood alongside attorneys and legal service workers at Legal Aid and other nonprofit legal organizations across the city as they threatened to strike for higher pay and better hours.
Workers at Legal Aid struck a deal in time to stay on the job, while hundreds of legal aid workers at other organizations walked off the job amid stalled negotiations. Throughout his political career, Mamdani has remained staunchly pro-union, carrying support for striking lawyers and nurses into his role as the city’s chief executive.
Mamdani also continued his celebration of the Lunar New Year on Sunday, delivering remarks at the CAAAV Annual Lunar New Year Celebration. The event was closed to the press.
Anti-Muslim protest, ‘suspicious devices’ outside Gracie Mansion draw condemnation from City Hall
Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch responded to a Saturday protest outside Gracie Mansion, where several individuals threw “suspicious” smoking devices. The protest was held by far-right influencer Jake Lang and was called the “Crusade Against Islamification.”
In a statement to amNewYork, Mamdani Press Secretary Joe Calvello wrote that the protest was “despicable and Islamophobic.”
“Thankfully, the Mayor and the First Lady are both safe, though the events are a stark reminder of the threats they both face regularly,” Calvello wrote.
Mamdani, who is New York City’s first-ever Muslim mayor, has been outspoken about the threats he and his wife have faced during his time on the campaign trail and in office. In advance of the June 2025 Democratic primary election, Mamdani hired a security detail amid threats.
The NYPD arrested six individuals at the protest and counterprotest, including two men whom police suspect threw “suspicious devices.”
Tisch said at a Saturday press briefing that, based on preliminary examination and imaging, the devices appeared to be jars wrapped in black tape with nuts, bolts, screws, and a fuse. She said it was unclear so far whether the devices were explosives or hoax devices.
Mamdani, Tisch mourn death of NYPD officer in Kuwait
Separate from the protest, Mamdani and Tisch on Saturday mourned the death of NYPD Officer Sorffly Davius, who died following a medical episode while in Kuwait with the 42nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army National Guard.
Davius, who was on military leave from the NYPD, was deployed as part of President Donald Trump’s Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israel military effort launched on Feb. 28 targeting Iran’s nuclear production facilities. The operation has so far killed over 1,300 Iranians, according to Iran’s United Nations envoy.
“His career was defined by service — to his country and to New York City,” Mamdani and Tisch wrote in the joint statement. “Our thoughts are with Officer Davius and his entire family as they mourn his loss. May his memory be a blessing.”
