A large snowball fight in New York following a blizzard, which culminated in police officers being struck by snow and ice, has sparked tensions between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his own police department.
Mamdani has brushed off the incident in Washington Square Park as children enjoying themselves, while the New York Police Department and its commissioner, Jessica Tisch, have treated the matter more seriously, according to AP.
Tisch condemned the event as “disgraceful” and “criminal.” Meanwhile, the patrol officers’ union quickly used the incident to argue that respect for law enforcement has diminished under the new mayor.
The Police Benevolent Association described it as an “assault”, stating “this was not just a snowball fight”.
The department is looking for four individuals and has circulated their photos, saying officers were injured after being hit with packed snow and ice during Monday’s gathering, which was organized by social media content creators, the report noted.
Mamdani indicated that he does not believe the incident warrants criminal charges.
When questioned if anybody should be prosecuted, he mentioned on Wednesday, “I’ve said time and time again that, having seen these videos, to me it was a snowball fight that got out of hand and it should be treated accordingly.”
It remains uncertain whether the episode could escalate into a broader political problem for him, especially since he took office facing scrutiny from various quarters over his previous criticism of the police department.
Monday’s snowball fight attracted a large crowd to Washington Square Park as a powerful storm swept across the Northeast, creating a chaotic atmosphere with young people hurling snowballs across one of the city’s iconic parks.
On Tuesday evening, the police department released photos of four individuals it is seeking in connection with the snowball fight, asking the public for assistance in identifying them. The images were out following Mamdani brushing off the incident at an unrelated news conference.
On Wednesday, Mamdani said he has been in contact with Commissioner Jessica Tisch and expressed appreciation for her work, while avoiding questions about their differing views on the snowball fight.
Snowball fights reportedly often end in tears or arguments as many parents would attest. In the heat of the moment, things can easily get out of hand, and not everyone appreciates being hit in the face with snow.
What do social media videos show?
At one point, social media videos showed two officers entering the park being bombarded with snowballs from nearly every direction, leaving them covered in snow as they walked along a pathway. During the chaos, the officers pushed at least two individuals to the ground while bystanders filmed the scene on their phones. In one clip, an officer’s face appeared reddened, and he could be seen rubbing his eye.
Other videos captured people hurling snowballs at officers stationed on the street just outside the park.
The police department later confirmed that several officers were hit in the face by snowballs. A union spokesperson stated that two officers received treatment at a nearby hospital for injuries to the face, head, and neck.
Reactions to this week’s snowball fight echoed those following a 2019 incident during a heat wave, when energetic young people engaging in water fights were filmed tossing water at police officers. That event also drew sharp criticism from police leaders, who called it an unacceptable display of disrespect and suggested that officers who chose to walk away from such antics might consider a different line of work.
During his campaign, Mamdani, a progressive Democrat, apologized for past comments in which he described the police department on social media as “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety”. He also drew criticism from some left-leaning supporters when he chose to retain Tisch, an establishment moderate, as police commissioner, signaling a cautious and measured approach to law enforcement.
(With inputs from agency)
