Presumptive GOP gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman has known as on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to instantly can his cop-hating transition staff member Kazi Fouzia, an activist who slammed the NYPD as “killers” in not too long ago resurfaced feedback.
Fouzia, a self-described “revolutionary organizer” who serves on Mamdani’s transition panel for employee justice, ridiculed fellow Bangladeshis for celebrating family members becoming a member of the NYPD as a result of they might turn out to be “killers” throughout a dialogue known as “What’s App: Our Function in Black Liberation Actions.”
“What are you proud for? That your relative would turn out to be a killer sooner or later, or brutally beat our individuals?” mentioned Fouzia, director of organizing on the South Asian immigrant-rights nonprofit group Desis Rising Up and Transferring, or DRUM, within the resurfaced video.
She made the outrageous feedback in 2020 across the time of the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests and riots.
Mamdani having such a cop-hater a part of his braintrust is past the pale, Blakeman, the present Nassau County government, mentioned Monday.
“Mayor-elect Mamdani can not enable somebody who publicly demonizes legislation enforcement to sit down on his transition staff. Kazi Fouzia ought to be fired instantly,” he mentioned.
“Calling our cops — the women and men who put their lives on the road on daily basis to guard New Yorkers — ‘killers’ is disgusting, harmful, and utterly unacceptable,” mentioned Blakeman.
“Mayor-elect Mamdani can not enable somebody who publicly demonizes legislation enforcement to sit down on his transition staff. Kazi Fouzia ought to be fired instantly.”
Blakeman is going through off in opposition to Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who’s looking for re-election subsequent yr. Hochul endorsed democratic socialist Mamdani — over her rival Andrew Cuomo — in his historic bid for mayor after he clinched the Democratic main.
The Republican used the feedback to attempt to tie Hochul to Mamdani and the lefty Working Households Get together, which has known as for defunding the police.
Hochul has beforehand run on the WFP poll line.
“By empowering a radical anti-police activist and standing shoulder to shoulder with ‘Defund the Police’ allies, Mamdani and Hochul have made their priorities crystal clear,” Blakeman mentioned.
“As governor, I’ll stand with legislation enforcement, reject the ‘Defund the Police’ agenda, and guarantee extremists haven’t any affect over the way forward for New York.”
Mamdani and Hochul’s camps had no quick remark.
Blakeman has ratcheted up his marketing campaign after upstate Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik surprisingly dropped out of the governor’s race this month.
President Trump has since endorsed his outdated pal Blakeman for governor, clearing his path to the GOP nomination.
No Republican has gained a statewide election since ex-Gov. George Pataki in 2002, making Hochul the strong frontrunner at the same time as polls present half of New Yorkers desire a new governor.
