New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been seen, on numerous occasions, wearing a red scarf that is a symbol of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Adams was given a red scarf at an event hosted by China Media Group and was seen wearing the symbolic attire at the first annual Brooklyn Lantern Parade and again during a visit to Manhattan’s Chinatown the next day.
Adams has used fashion in the past to make political statements, but in this instance, a spokesperson revealed that the mayor was unaware of the significance of the scarf.
“Mayor Adams was proud to march in two Lunar New Year parades this weekend to honor the tens of thousands of New Yorkers who celebrate the holiday,” a spokesperson told the New York Post.
“During the festivities someone handed Mayor Adams a red scarf and he put it on without looking at any logo on it. He wore that same scarf at the second event as well. That is the beginning and end of this story.”
This is not the first time Adams has made a statement, purposefully or not, through fashion. At the 2022 Met Gala, Adams wore a custom, hand-painted tuxedo with the words “End Gun Violence” emblazoned on the back.
Just last month, Adams held a press briefing on migrant crime while wearing a bulletproof vest. Under the vest, and very visible, he was wearing a Fendi scarf valued at almost $700 on the retailer’s website.
No wonder no one in City Council, or NYC takes Mayor Adams seriously. The self proclaimed “blue collar mayor” is wearing FENDI scarves while out with our NYPD wearing a bulletproof vest..? This guy just wants to flex his luxury gifts, not help our people. #NYPD #NYC pic.twitter.com/xbRhCyLL8k
— Curtis Sliwa (@CurtisSliwa) February 6, 2024
His past use of fashion to make political statements has caused some to doubt the claim that Adams did not understand the significance of what he was wearing. At the very least, the red scarves have started a debate about the responsibility public figures have to know the symbolism of the attire they wear.
The scarf Adams wore in Chinatown on Sunday had the white logo of the nonprofit “Asian Community Empowerment, Inc” also known as BRACE. BRACE has ties to the United Front, a group affiliated with the CCP and headed by John Chan, a Chinese-born businessman who also runs the American Chinese Commerce Association.
