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IT’S ONLY JUST BEGUN!!!! On January 5, 2026, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended an event at the McBurney YMCA on 14th Street in Manhattan to celebrate the one-year anniversary of New York City’s congestion pricing program, which imposes tolls on vehicles entering central Manhattan to reduce traffic and fund transit improvements. The program has been controversial, particularly among drivers, taxi operators, and ride-share workers who argue it harms their livelihoods and disproportionately affects working-class New Yorkers. During the event, a group of protesters—apparently organized or supported by taxi and limousine advocacy groups opposed to the tolls—confronted the officials. Video footage shows Hochul and Mamdani being quickly escorted by security through a crowd and hurried into waiting black SUVs amid shouts and pursuit by demonstrators. The scene depicts a chaotic exit, with protesters following closely, some wearing helmets or casual attire, as the officials and their entourage rush down the sidewalk to vehicles double-parked along the street. No violence is visible in the footage, but the rapid evacuation suggests concerns for safety amid the heated demonstration. The protest appears tied to broader opposition to congestion pricing, which critics like the NYC Drivers Unite group (who shared the video) view as an unfair tax on drivers. This aligns with ongoing debates in NYC politics, where Mamdani and Hochul have publicly supported the program as a success for environmental and transit goals, while groups like taxi reformers decry it as burdensome. No arrests or injuries were reported in initial accounts, and the officials departed without further incident.