Mayor Zohran Mamdani is forecasting “what may well be the largest parade in New York City history” ahead of the Knicks ticker tape parade through Broadway’s Canyon of Heroes Thursday morning.
The parade, which kicks off at 10 a.m. Thursday, marks the first-ever ticker tape parade for the Knicks, who did not receive parades after their previous NBA Championship victories in 1970 and 1973.
Speaking during an inspection of parade preparations at the DOT’s Sign Shop in Maspeth, Mamdani said he expected the parade to draw one of the largest crowds in the city’s history, reflecting the 53-year wait for a Knicks championship victory.
“It may well be the largest parade in New York City history, and I think that speaks to what this team means to this city,” Mamdani said in Maspeth. “It also speaks to 53 years of waiting. It speaks to 26 years since the last time we were in the [NBA F]inals.”
Mamdani, speaking alongside a newly-created “Champions Way” sign, encouraged New Yorkers to “come early” for Thursday’s parade.
“I would say two hours (before), but I know that New Yorkers will likely come far before then,” Mamdani said. “We’re going to make sure that we take every precaution that this be a safe and joyous moment for New Yorkers.”
The “Champions Way” signs will be erected along the Canyon of Heroes on Wednesday and removed shortly after the parade, Mamdani said.
NYC schools still in session despite Knicks ticker-tape parade
While the parade is expected to draw a potentially record-breaking crowd, a large sub-section of New York City residents will not be there. Mamdani confirmed Monday morning that he cannot cancel school or reschedule Regents Exams.
“There will always be any number of people who will not be able to make it, no matter what day that we choose,” Mamdani said. “However, this date was chosen in accordance both with the Knicks as an organization, as well as with the PD and other city agencies and departments.”
He added that the city is taking “every step” to ensure the safety of every New Yorker who attends the parade and predicted that Thursday’s parade would look different from the post-game celebrations that erupted across the city late Saturday night.
“I think there will be something distinct about the time and the nature of the celebration being at 10 in the morning on a Thursday and not midnight on Saturday.”
Mamdani did, however, criticize a small section of Knicks fans for what he described as “frankly unacceptable” behavior during the post-game celebrations late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, with 63 people arrested and 10 NYPD officers injured during street celebrations. A 17-year-old boy was also shot in the foot after Game 5, while five school buses being used for World Cup transportation were set on fire or otherwise vandalized, according to the NYPD.
“I think what we saw on Saturday evening was the vast majority of New Yorkers celebrating responsibly, celebrating appropriately, given that as a city we’ve been waiting for this for 53 years,” Mamdani said. “There were a select number of New Yorkers who celebrated in a way that was frankly unacceptable. It was not celebration, it was an excuse to attack someone around them or to be violent.”
The mayor believes that the NYPD “handled themselves appropriately” during Saturday’s celebrations, stating that there is “no tolerance” for anyone who attacks a police officer during the celebrations.
When asked if it was appropriate for the NYPD to deploy the Strategic Response Group (SRG) in full riot gear to curtail a mob that had gathered near 9th Avenue and 34th Street, Mamdani said he was “deeply appreciative” of the NYPD for keeping the city safe and again stated that the police handled themselves appropriately.
The mayor did reaffirm his belief that it is important to “decouple” the city’s response to protests from its response to terror threats.
“That’s something that I am continuing to work with the Commissioner (Jessica Tisch) on – to disband SRG and ensure that we have responses that are separate from each other,” Mamdani said.
