Union boss blasts Mamdani as 'anti-labor' after NYC mayor brokers deal to ban horse carriage industry

Nine horse-drawn carriage drivers gathered in Central Park on Friday, accusing Mayor Zohran Mamdani of hypocrisy over his role in brokering a deal to ban their industry while offering no guaranteed compensation. Driver Atakan Aktay, a 13-year veteran who invested everything he had into his business, pointed to Mamdani's past hunger strike on behalf of taxi medallion owners and demanded the same consideration. City Council Speaker Julie Menin is pledging to pass Romanch's Law next week, which would ban horse carriages across New York's five boroughs from June 2028.