Hundreds line up ahead of Mamdani inauguration block party

Several hundred people, many wearing knit caps that say “Zohran,” braved frigid temperatures to line up at the intersection of Broadway and Liberty Street to gain entrance to the inauguration block party. Among those waiting was Jose La Luz, a longtime union organizer who helped found the Democratic Socialists of America in the 1980s. La Luz, of East Harlem, said he came downtown despite the cold because Mamdani shares his values and principles.

“This is just a dream come true for many of us who share these values of justice and equality and working class power,” he said.

La Luz said Mamdani’s election and inauguration represent a beginning. The new mayor’s agenda, he said, will face resistance from the White House, state lawmakers and a host of other adversaries.

“But the good news is that the more than 100,000 volunteers that were mobilized to knock on doors, they have remained engaged. And we continue to remain engaged. The organization has remained intact,” he said.