Anthony Weiner might have been expecting another “love fest” after his parade experience on Memorial Day, but the only Jewish mayoral candidate’s return to the Israel Day Parade was less than triumphant. Weiner hasn’t attended the parade since 2010, and while many spectators cheered as he marched down Fifth Avenue on Sunday, he attracted a fair amount of boos as well. In the public’s first significant display of Weiner hostility since he announced he was running for mayor, spectators shouted, “Go home, Anthony!” “Where do you get the nerve?” and “You don’t represent us!”
While several mayoral candidates simply marched in the parade, Weiner made sure he stood out. With a bullhorn in one hand and a giant Israel flag in the other, he ran up to the barricades to engage with voters, even though he wasn’t always well-received.
The New York Times has a sample of the abuse hurled at Weiner:
One woman simply gave him a thumbs-down as he passed her. An older man shouting “Am Yisrael Chai” – a Hebrew phrase meaning, roughly, “The people of Israel live” – approached Mr. Weiner looking as though he wanted to shake hands with him. But as he got closer, he stopped abruptly, and asked, “Are you Weiner?”
The older man then shook his head, withdrew his hand, and backed away quickly. Mr. Weiner looked startled and let out a loud, awkward laugh.
Similarly, Weiner ignored the man who yelled repeatedly, “Tweet me a picture, Weiner!” Earlier, the candidate told reporters he was excited to be back at the parade, saying, “This is home for me.”
