New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Tuesday that police are investigating a street takeover following a weekend car meetup in the Maspeth residential community in Queens, which included one car waving a large Palestinian flag and crewed by individuals wearing keffiyehs.
Following a press conference announcing the opening of new early childhood education centers, Mamdani said it is “unacceptable for drivers to be acting in this manner.”
“I know that there have been a number of concerns that have been raised,” he said. “It’s something that our police commissioner is very much aware of and working on, to not only hold individuals accountable, but also to ask ourselves the questions of how do we ensure that this isn’t something that is becoming normal in our city.”
“At this time, it continues to be the focus of an active investigation,” Mamdani said.
Video shows over 100 vehicles speeding in circles around the intersection at 69th Street and Eliot Avenue on the Maspeth–Middle Village border on Saturday morning, according to the New York Post. Drivers were seen doing donuts around a “ring of fire” in the street, and some participants damaged a marked NYPD vehicle as officers moved in to disperse the crowd.
The New York City Police Department has released images of eight suspects, including three shown wearing keffiyehs. No arrests have been announced, though police have seized at least two vehicles linked to the gathering. No injuries were reported.
