Snowball-gate: Washington Square Park incident pits Mamdani against NYPD
Gothamist • • nation
Key Points:
- A large snowball fight in Washington Square Park, promoted on social media, escalated into a confrontation where several police officers suffered facial injuries, sparking debate over whether it was innocent fun or criminal assault.
- NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the event, while Mayor Zohran Mamdani took a more nuanced stance, acknowledging officers' service but downplaying the severity by calling it "a snowball fight."
- Video footage showed officers using pepper spray and physical force as the crowd became more aggressive, with police investigating and seeking suspects for assault on officers.
- Public opinion was divided, with some parkgoers criticizing the police response as excessive and others viewing the snowball throwing at officers as inappropriate and dangerous
