Zahran Mamdani’s pleas for New Yorkers to help clear snow were met with ridicule over the alleged need for ID, even as a blizzard warning was issued.
New York Mayor Zahran Mamdani’s calls to city residents to help clear snow were met with ridicule. The Democrat addressed people when New York City was under a blizzard warning. Mamdani’s plea was met with backlash due to the apparent need for proof of identity to register and help clear snow.
“For those who want to do more to help their neighbors or earn extra money, you can also become an emergency snowplow,” Mamdani can be heard saying in the video shared online. New Yorkers were asked to show up with their “papers,” which led to many expressing their anger online.
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According to the New York City Department of Sanitation, a person needs two small 1-1.5 inch square photographs, two original ID forms plus copies, as well as their Social Security card.
Zahran Mamdani faces backlash
“Mamdani is now begging New Yorkers to sign up to shovel snow after mountains of snow and trash were left on the streets for weeks. People are being asked to register online for snow shoveling that requires an ID,” said a right-leaning page on the X website.
“Snow plow ID but no voting ID. You can’t make this up,” she added.
Another right-leaning page wrote: “Zahran Mamdani is now pleading with New Yorkers to sign up to clear snow before tomorrow’s blizzard, after his disastrous response to the recent blizzard, which left nine- and ten-foot piles of ice blocking roads for weeks. Oh, and you need to bring ID to sign up.”
Another quipped: “Mamdani’s bold snow removal campaign before the historic snowstorm!”
The protest comes from the Democratic side’s reaction against President Donald Trump’s push to make voter IDs mandatory, through the SAVE Act. While the federal administration believes this will improve transparency, state administrations have expressed fear of greater federal intervention.
Blizzard warning in New York: What to know
While the controversy over Mamdani’s comments continues, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency for the entire state. “This is something we must take seriously,” she warned. “A snowstorm can paralyze an entire region.”
A Blizzard Warning is in effect from 1 PM Sunday to 6 PM Monday across Long Island, New York City, Westchester County and the Hudson Valley.
Widespread coastal flooding will be possible between Sunday night and Monday morning, especially along Jamaica Bay, Staten Island, the Battery, parts of the Bronx and northern Queens. Coney Island, Massapequa, Sayville, Westhampton and Montauk are also possible, according to the National Weather Service.
Shuvrajit has more than seven years of experience covering US, Indian and international news. An English literature graduate from Jadavpur University, Shovrajit started out covering entertainment and games. There were short spells away from the media industry, with stints in educational technology and academic editing. However, the newsroom came into being, and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has been hyper-focused on team work as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive, data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered Lok Sabha elections, multiple state elections, and Union Budgets. For work, Shufrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI-powered chatbots. Outside of work, he can be found walking around or cheering on his soccer team.Read more
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