FLASHBACK: Mamdani labeled Kirk a 'far-right extremist' who should be canceled from speaking in NYC

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New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani once signed a letter labeling conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last week, as an "extremist" while calling on a venue to block his ability to speak in New York City. 

In a June 2023 press release by several local Democrats, Mamdani and his colleagues issued a statement "in response to Motif Studios agreeing to host a far-right extremist event on June 17th at Tammany House in Long Island City."

"As elected officials representing western Queens, we are deeply disappointed by the decision by Motif Studios to host an event by the far-right extremist groups Blexit and Turning Point USA at their Triplex LIC/Tammany House venue in Long Island City," the statement explained. 

"Providing a platform for the kind of transphobic, bigoted views held by invited speakers Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk and others goes directly against the diversity and inclusivity that we hold dear as New Yorkers and is an insult to every member of our community."

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The elected Democrats went on to call on Motif Studios to "follow the lead" of another local venue who was originally going to host the event but "canceled their booking after the community spoke out" about the "bigotry" of the event organizers. 

"Hate has no home in Queens, New York City, or anywhere else and certainly not here in Long Island City," the press release said. 

The scheduled event was held according to plan and Kirk posted a video of an activist being removed after attempting to disrupt the proceedings. 

GOP Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz, who represents New York's 15th District, told Fox News Digital that Kirk was murdered for exercising his free speech and that elected officials should be forced to "reckon with the culture of hate that has been allowed to grow."

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"We cannot ignore that my colleagues, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and his radical DSA allies, once tried to silence Charlie Kirk in New York City, pressuring venues to cancel his events," Blumencranz said. 

"That mindset of censorship and public shaming feeds the hostile climate we see today and corrodes the American ideal that speech must be met with more speech, not suppression."

Kirk's death has ignited a firestorm of political debate about free speech in the U.S. and Blumencranz told Fox News Digital he believes Mamdani, who holds a commanding polling lead in the race to be New York City's next mayor, has been hypocritical on the issue of speech. 

"What's most telling is Mamdani's double standard: the speech he rushes to protect - like 'globalize the intifada,' which many view as a call to violence against Jews - tears at America's fabric, while the speech he vigorously fights to silence is the very kind that keeps our democracy alive," Blumencranz said.

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Blumencranz continued, "New Yorkers must ask themselves what it would mean to have a 'Silencer-in-Chief' like Zohran Mamdani in City Hall. New York deserves a 'Unifier-in-Chief,' who will defend free expression and bring people together - clearly, Zohran Mamdani is not that leader."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment. 

Mamdani publicly addressed Kirk's assassination, telling a group of supporters that the shooting was "horrific" and "yet another victim of gun violence in a nation where what should be a rarity has turned into a plague."

In a post on X, Mamdani said he was "horrified" and declared that "political violence has no place in our country."