The viral post has circulated across multiple social media platforms, quickly accumulating hundreds of thousands of views.
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A persistent social media rumor alleges that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was recently ejected from the historic Jewish landmark Katz’s Deli after arriving accompanied by pro-Palestine demonstrators carrying banners and flags. The unverified story has drawn widespread online mockery, with internet users quickly demanding a verification check.
Claim: Zohran Mamdani barred from Katz’s Deli
🚨ZOHRAN MAMDANI JUST GOT BARRED FROM KATZ’S DELI AFTER WALKING IN WITH PRO-PALESTINE “ACTIVISTS” — THEY MADE HIM A FREE SANDWICH JUST TO GET HIM OUT, THEN HAD POLICE SERVE THE NO-TRESPASSING NOTICE!
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He had a lot of nerve showing up at a 120-year-old… pic.twitter.com/NhQuYHhMf0
According to the widely shared post originating on X, Mamdani was banned from the famous deli following an incident with pro-Palestine advocates.
The online narrative further claimed that staff members handed the mayor a complimentary sandwich solely to expedite his departure, immediately followed by law enforcement issuing an official trespassing warning.
A fabricated quote attributed to an employee of the 120-year-old establishment read: “We told them they were welcome as long as they put away their flags and signs.”
It added, “We made him a sandwich for free to get him out of here, then had the police serve him with a no trespassing notice.”
Despite being debunked, the narrative has been reposted by numerous accounts, racking up over a hundred thousand views.
Fact Check: The incident never took place
In reality, this claim is entirely false, as no such confrontation has ever occurred between Mayor Mamdani and the staff at Katz’s Deli.
Given the high-profile nature of such an event involving a major city mayor, mainstream media outlets would have extensively reported on it. However, comprehensive searches across news databases show zero credible reports, nor is there any verification of statements from deli personnel.
Digital forensics reveal that the rumor actually first appeared earlier this summer, traced back to a Facebook parody profile operating under the name ‘America Loves Liberty.’
The original satirical post clearly featured a disclaimer watermark in the lower corner stating, “Nothing on this page is real.”
Zohran Mamdani faces ongoing controversy over 9/11 anniversary
The resurgence of this fake story coincides with mounting local tension surrounding the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, where the mayor is encountering significant pushback regarding his planned participation in memorial events.
Recent reports indicate that roughly 600 retired Port Authority police officers have publicly requested that both Mayor Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul absent themselves from the Ground Zero remembrance.
The Port Authority Retired Police Association officially instructed the two prominent politicians to steer clear of the commemorative gathering.
Nevertheless, protocol established back in 2012 dictates that political figures are barred from addressing attendees at the Ground Zero ceremony to maintain the solemnity and nonpartisan nature of the observance.