Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan to dismantle the NYPD's roughly 600-officer protest unit could hand far-left activist networks, including NGOs linked to China-based Marxist financier Neville Roy Singham, a gift by weakening the city's ability to respond to large demonstrations or riots.

Politico reports: 

Mamdani's plan is expected to involve nixing the NYPD's Strategic Response Group and potentially replacing it with a new civilian unit that would take the lead on responding to protests, said one of the people who spoke to POLITICO and, like others, was granted anonymity to discuss the announcement. 

Under the plan — which had not been finalized as of Thursday morning — the new civilian unit would be supported by NYPD officers, who would assemble nearby and could step in to conduct arrests if needed, said the person, noting that the civilian entity's main goal would be de-escalation.