Zohran Mamdani

Oftentimes we've even found as legislators, when we go into these courts, the term violent crime is even used when people are stealing packages.

Violent crime is even used when people are accused of burglary and there happens to be a housing unit in that same dwelling.

So violence is an artificial construction.

And we have to be very clear that what is happening here with these district attorneys, that is violence.

That is violence at the highest degree.

No, I have many critiques of capitalism.

And I think ultimately the definition for me of why I call myself a democratic socialist is the words of Dr. King decades ago.

He said, call it democracy or call it democratic socialism, there must be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country.

And that's what I'm focused on is dignity and taking on income inequality.

And for too long, politicians have pretended that we're spectators to that crisis of affordability.

We're actually actors and we have the choice to exacerbate it like Mayor Adams has done or to respond to it and resolve it like I'm planning to do.