Chants break out as Bernie Sanders swears in Zohran Mamdani | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload ourSocial PartnerWe are 8 logo (opens in a new tab)AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleMaria TsvetkovaThursday 01 January 2026 21:33 GMTMamdani inspired a record-breaking turnout of more than 2 million voters and took 50% of the vote in November (AP)The crowd at Democrat Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration broke out in “tax the rich” chants as he was sworn in as New York City's mayor Thursday.Mamdani pledged an aggressive agenda to make the city more affordable for working people after campaigning on issues such as universal childcare, affordable rents, and free bus service.His public inauguration, which came hours after a midnight ceremony, featured speeches from prominent democratic socialists, including U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.Sanders, whom Mamdani calls his inspiration, defended the new mayor’s agenda, saying, "Making sure that people can live in affordable housing is not radical. It is the right and decent thing to do."The crowd of several thousand erupted in cheers when Sanders called on America's millionaires and billionaires to pay more in taxes, breaking into a chant of "tax the rich."Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in