Viral video does not show Muslims tearing down US flag in New York City after Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral win

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search to find the original source.

Several right-wing and Islamophobic accounts shared a video on multiple social media platforms on November 6, 2025, that allegedly showed Muslims tearing down a United States flag in New York after Zohran Mamdani’s win in the city’s mayoral elections. However, the video is actually from November 2023 from a pro-Palestine protest.

Mamdani made history as the first Muslim and South Asian to be elected mayor of New York City, winning on a platform focused on economic justice, affordable living, and building a more inclusive city. He secured a decisive victory despite weeks of racially charged attacks and coordinated misinformation campaigns.

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani, a vocal critic of Islamophobia and a long-standing advocate for Palestinian rights, was repeatedly targeted with racist tropes, fabricated claims and efforts to discredit his religious and political identity.

HOW IT STARTED

On Nov 6, a right-wing Islamophobic account shared a video showing a person climbing a street pole and tearing down US flags, accompanied by the caption: “Muslims ripping down American flags in New York City. I think it’s pretty clear how and why Zohran Mamdani was elected. Islam is not here to integrate … Islam is here to overthrow America and turn us into an Islamic State under Sharia Law.”

The post garnered more than 2.2 million views.

Another Islamophobic account also shared the same claim, receiving over 1.7m views on X.

Several other right-wing users amplified the claim as well, as seen here, here, here, here, and here.

The video with similar claims was also shared on Instagram and Threads.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in developments related to Islam in the US.

A reverse image search yielded a YouTube video uploaded by the Times of India on Nov 12, 2023, titled: “US and UN flags disrespected by Pro-Palestinian demonstrators on Veterans Day”.

The same footage was also published by US-based outlet Fox News.

Another clip of the incident, showing the individual tearing down the US flag from a slightly different angle, was posted by a South Florida–based digital media outlet UHN Plus on X on Nov 11, 2023, with the caption: ‘Pro-Palestine protesters tore down American flags in the middle of New York City. What do you think about that?’

Fox News also ran a screenshot of the protest in an article dated Nov 13, 2023, in the context of pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

A similar image was also found on the Getty Images website showing US and UN flags alongside a Palestinian flag.

The photo titled, “Pro-Palestinian demonstrators flooded the streets of New York City”, was taken on Nov 10, 2023. The caption said: “A view of the Palestinian flag as thousands of pro-Palestinians demonstrators, part of a ‘Flood Manhattan for Gaza’ protest, march from Columbus Circle to Grand Central in New York, United States on November 10, 2023. The protestors shut down Grand Central Terminal, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during the demonstration. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)”

A keyword search yielded a report by British news outlet The Independent dated Nov 11, 2023, titled: “Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down NYC’s Grand Central Station”.

According to the report, thousands of protesters marched through Midtown Manhattan on Nov 10, 2023, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The demonstration began at Columbus Circle and moved through the city, blocking traffic and later surrounding the New York Times building, where protesters smeared fake blood on the entrance. Grand Central Station’s main terminal was temporarily closed, with trains diverted as police monitored the largely peaceful protest.

An estimated 2,000 people participated, and six were arrested for disorderly conduct. The event was part of a wave of near-daily pro-Palestinian demonstrations in New York during that period, the report added.

During the investigation, it was also found that the same video with a similar claim was shared by different users in June 2025 as well, after Mamdani’s victory in New York City’s 2025 Democratic mayoral primary.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows Muslims tearing down US and UN flags in New York City after Mamdani’s win is false.

The video is old from November 2023, when a pro-Palestinian protest took place in the city.