Mamdani's run was barely a blip then, but Califano sensed the swell of something shifting. He asked Mamdani's communications director if he could follow the campaign behind the scenes (and on his own dime) for a long-term documentary project. They said yes, and over the next nine months, Califano embedded himself within Zohran's team, photographing everything from union rallies to neighborhood canvassers to Ramadan iftars among aunties. He burned through more than 100 rolls of film in the process.
The name is Mamdani: M.A.M.D.A.N.I. When Zohran Mamdani corrected Andrew Cuomo for mispronouncing his name at the New York City mayoral debate, it was immediately turned into a viral TikTok sound: remixed with Gwen Stefani's " Hollaback Girl." The sound has been featured in user-generated content surpassing 100 million views on TikTok. Remarkably, Mamdani was polling at 1% a year ago, and few New Yorkers recognized him. By the end of the campaign, Zohan Mamdani had mobilized a grassroots movement of 100,000 volunteers.
For the night, Hadidi transformed the restaurant's back room, typically reserved for parties of 20 or more, into a theater-style viewing room. It became so packed that Huda regulars Hiba Awad and her friends Joanna and Mo ran home for a laptop and monitor, which they set up at the bar next to the martini glasses. "That way, we can live stream the results for the rest of the restaurant to see, too," Awad explained.
Brewster's No Kings rally Saturday drew more than 4,000 people, bringing almost twice as many protesters to GOP Representative Mike Lawler's district than its June event in Mount Kisco did. It was the largest rally in Brewster's history. Nationally, rally co-organizer Indivisible announced that these events drew 7 million people, also twice the June number. I'd say Lawler should be a bit nervous.
Hundreds of East Bay residents descended on Oakland Tech on Sunday, Oct. 5, and by 9:30 a.m., a line stretched halfway down the block . People in sneakers and Dr. Martens and flip flops, in keffiyehs and hoodies and bike helmets and cat t-shirts, were waiting to check in for Bay Get Ready, a day-long session on how to "get trained and organized to fight back."
