This looks very petty and suspicious.
Immigrant-run stores in New York are alleging that Mayor Zohran Mamdani is retaliating against them for fighting back against his government-run grocery store scheme. Those businesses have filed a lawsuit against the $70 million plan to build five stores across the city that would sell goods at a 30 percent discount.
Now they're getting slapped with sanitation fines.
Immigrant businesses who spoke out against Mamdani supermarkets say they're getting hit with NYC sanitation fines https://t.co/E05aRaKk6a pic.twitter.com/8HHueyhsBM
— New York Post (@nypost) August 26, 2026
Members of an immigrant business group that has spoken out against Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plans for government-owned supermarkets lately have been getting slapped with fines from the city’s Sanitation Department — and some say it looks like a case of retaliation.
Diana Larrazabal, who owns flower and gift shop Aroma D’ Angel at 304 E. 116th St., said shops including hers in recent months have received a slew of citations from the New York City Department of Sanitation for garbage that isn’t even theirs.
Her flower and gift shop was dinged with fines three times this year — most recently for $350 in May. Many of her Spanish-speaking neighbors who are not bilingual lean on her to help them navigate the city’s red tape, she said, adding that they also are forking over hundreds of dollars in fines.
That sure looks like retaliation to us.
Just wait until the Fire violations start coming it, along with health department violations. Mamdani is going to try to do to small businesses that he wants to do to landlords: drive them out of business. Bankrupt them with constant violations until they go out of business. That…
— John Bulkeley (@bulkeley_john) August 27, 2026
Yes. He wants the government to run everything. These people are a threat to this.
In fairness this kind of political retribution is perfectly normal in Ugandan politics.
— Izengabe (@Izengabe_) August 27, 2026
This is true. And in socialist politics.
Doesn’t matter who speaks out, they will silence you.
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) August 27, 2026
Right.
"New York is a city of immigrants."
Unless they get uppity.
This is socialism, kids. https://t.co/FUgJBDjySY
— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) August 27, 2026
New York voted for this, too.
This is what communists do to those who dissent. https://t.co/WtgEjdZ2Sj
— Matthew Kolken (@mkolken) August 27, 2026
Every single time.
Can’t have a proper Socialist state without some Kulaks https://t.co/XGKY8osVWo
— Enguerrand VII de Coucy (@ingelramdecoucy) August 26, 2026
And the immigrant business owners are now the Kulaks, the relatively wealthy peasant farmers demonized by the Soviets in Russia.
Vengeance, @NYCMayor?
— Kathleen Wood (@KathleenWoodnys) August 27, 2026
Immigrant owned businesses spoke out against your government subsidized supermarkets. They sued the city. Coincidentally, some say they’re suddenly being hammered with sanitation fines as high as $1,000.
DSNY denies retaliation. Fine. If true, release the… https://t.co/qJXkO6y6KD
The Mamdani administration will never release the enforcement records, because we all know this is retaliation. This wasn't happening before the lawsuit, and now it is.
Editor’s Note: New York City is now facing the consequences of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist takeover.
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