1 of 4 | New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers an address to commemorate America's 250th anniversary on Friday in New York City. Mayor Mamdani delivered the speech from George Washington's desk, surrounded by recently naturalized citizens. Pool Photo by Anna Connors/UPI | License Photo
July 3 (UPI) -- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recounted the city's history with immigration and praised "righteous dissent" in a televised address marking the Unites States' 250th anniversary.
The first-term Democrat delivered his speech Friday while seating behind President George Washington's desk at New York City Hall. The mayor, who was born in Uganda and became a U.S. citizen in 2018, was flanked by recently-naturalized U.S. citizens as he made his remarks.
"This will be no ordinary day of celebration," Mamdani said. "Two hundred fifty years presents a rare opportunity for more than 340 million people to turn together, both toward one another and toward ourselves, to take measure of who we are as a nation."
The mayor recounted New York's historic role as a hub of immigration.
