A self-proclaimed socialist House candidate, backed by a controversial New York City Mayor, found herself in handcuffs Thursday after blocking roadways during a fiery anti-Israel protest outside the United Nations General Assembly. Darializa Avila Chevalier, who recently secured the Democratic nomination for New York’s 13th Congressional District, was among dozens detained for disrupting public order as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the city.
Photos shared by her campaign on social media confirmed the arrest, even as her team doubled down on their extreme anti-Israel rhetoric. "Our government has unlimited funds to arm a genocide against Palestinians but tells us there's nothing left to feed and house our own people. Stop arming Israel!" read a Thursday afternoon post from her campaign account.
Avila Chevalier did not shy away from her confrontational stance, stating, "Netanyahu belongs at the Hague, not in the streets of New York City, and certainly not addressing the United Nations General Assembly." Such calls for an allied foreign leader to be tried at an international court, rather than addressing global dignitaries, reveal the disturbing worldview gaining traction within the Democratic Party's progressive wing.
The demonstration Avila Chevalier was reportedly arrested at drew approximately 250 protesters to a busy Manhattan intersection, where police ultimately began making arrests after individuals sitting in the roadway refused repeated orders to disperse. Alongside Avila Chevalier, New York City Council members Chi Ossé and Alexa Avilés were reportedly taken into custody, as was actress Susan Sarandon, demonstrating the broad appeal of this radical agenda among certain political and cultural elites.
Roughly 80 to 100 individuals faced arrest for their refusal to obey law enforcement and clear the streets.
Avila Chevalier, 32, pulled off a significant primary upset in June, unseating five-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the deeply blue 13th District. Her victory was notably bolstered by the endorsement of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who praised her commitment to "working-class New Yorkers" – an ironic nod given her willingness to disrupt a global diplomatic event and promote an agenda that appears more aligned with fringe extremism than common sense.
A proud member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a group notorious for its far-left policies, Avila Chevalier's radical bona fides run deep. She has been a prominent pro-Palestinian activist, previously leading anti-Israel protests at Columbia University and helping to launch the Columbia University Apartheid Divest's (CUAD) boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaign.
CUAD itself garnered scrutiny for alarming social media posts, including open calls for "Death to America" and the "eradication of Western civilization." That a candidate for the U.S. Congress is so closely linked to such virulently anti-American and anti-Western sentiment should alarm every patriotic citizen, regardless of party.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the corrosive influence of radical, anti-American ideology seeping into mainstream politics. When a congressional candidate openly defies law and order, aligns with groups calling for the "eradication of Western civilization," and targets a key American ally, it is clear that the fight for America First principles, national security, and common sense values is more critical than ever. The American people deserve representatives who uphold the rule of law and stand with our allies, not those who engage in performative radicalism and embrace rhetoric that undermines the very foundations of our nation.
