Mamdani campaign under fire for hiring intern who tore down hostage posters after Oct. 7

An investigation by Canary Mission found that Hamed maintained an extensive background in anti-Israel activism beyond the poster incident.

By Aaron Sull, Jewish Breaking News

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani employed an intern who was caught on camera tearing down posters of Israeli hostages just days after Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre.

Frances Hamed, a Hunter College graduate, was filmed on Oct. 31, 2023, tearing down hostage posters in New York City while Israel was still identifying bodies from the terrorist attack that killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped approximately 250 others.

When she realized she was being filmed, Hamed attempted to cover her face and confronted the person recording.

“Stop harassing us… you are not allowed to put those [posters] there… you cannot post them,” Hamed yelled at the woman filming her.

Two years later, Hamed landed a job with radical NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani, with her LinkedIn profile showing she worked as a constituent services intern in his New York State Assembly office from February to May 2025.

She also served as a field lead and political canvasser for Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed candidate Jonathan Soto from January to June 2024, and held fellowships at both the Watson Foundation and Roosevelt House at Hunter College.

However, an investigation by Canary Mission found that Hamed maintained an extensive background in anti-Israel activism beyond the poster incident.

Records show she was photographed at a rally organized by Samidoun, a group labeled by the Office of Foreign Assets Control as a “sham charity” that raises money for terrorism.

Her employment adds to mounting scrutiny over Mamdani’s positions on Israel and his political associations.

After the Oct. 7 attacks, Mamdani issued a statement that labeled Israel an “apartheid” state without condemning Hamas.

He has also failed to condemn the slogan “Globalize The Intifada,” and has called for New York City to permanently divest from Israel bonds.

Yet despite parroting Hamas talking points and running a socialist campaign aimed at reshaping New York’s economy and social services, Mamdani is leading by 20 points over his nearest rivals.

Antisemitismhostage postersZohran Mamdani