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CNN International: Around 40 People Killed in Swiss Resort Fire; Soon: Mayor Zohran Mamdani Addresses New York City; Looking Ahead to a Year of Politics in 2026; Pink Ladies Puts New Face on Right-Wing Rhetoric; Deadly Fire in Swiss Alps; Iran Protests Turn Deadly as Crowds Clash with Police; Mamdani Publicly Sworn in as New York City Mayor. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired January 01, 2026 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Paula Newton in New York, and you are watching CNN Newsroom.

And we, of course, begin with our breaking news. Switzerland's president says his country has been plunged into sorrow. This after a fire ripped through a crowded bar inside a ski resort packed with New Year's revelers. Swiss authorities say about 40 people were killed, and more than 100 others injured, many of them severely. They believe it's likely most of the victims are young people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUY PARMELIN, SWISS PRESIDENT (through translator): This tragedy was -- happened in a place which was dedicated to fun and good cheer. And it is ironic in this respect that it should happen there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: For more details now, we get them from CNN's Nada Bashir, but a warning, parts of her report are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What began as a night of celebration turned into a nightmare. As crowds rang in the new year, a deadly fire tore through a packed bar in the luxury Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, in southern Switzerland.

Swiss police say around 40 people were killed and over 110 injured, many of them severely, adding it will take several days to return bodies to families.

BEATRIC PILLOUD, PROSECUTOR (through translator): There are quite a few circumstances to be clarified through initial investigations. I would like to point out that, as things stand, we are treating this as a fire and there is no question of any kind of terror attack at this stage. BASHIR (voice-over): The fire broke out just after 1:30 in the morning inside a bar called Le Constellation. Two witnesses told CNN affiliate BFM TV it may have been caused by sparklers placed in champagne bottles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): People shouted, fire, fire, and at first we thought it was a joke. Then suddenly there was a very large cloud of black smoke. We could not breathe anymore. And in our heads, we knew we had to get out, but there was a crowd and we couldn't leave. So, we tried to hide.

SAMUEL RAPP, LOCAL RESIDENT (through translator): There were people screaming and then people lying on the ground, probably dead. They had jackets over their faces. Well, that's what I saw. Nothing more.

BASHIR (voice-over): The bar is located in the heart of Crans- Montana, an exclusive resort town known for skiing, fine dining and nightlife. On Thursday morning, authorities closed the area to the public and declared a state of emergency. They added the investigation would look into whether safety standards were met.

Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin described it as one of the worst tragedies to have faced his country. Saying on social media, quote, "What should have been a happy occasion on the first day of the year in Crans-Montana, has turned into a tragic loss that touches the whole country and far beyond."

Few could imagine the first day of 2026 would begin this way. For a resort known for sweeping Alpine views, authorities are now focused on finding answers and preventing another tragedy.

Nada Bashir, CNN in London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Our Nic Robertson is making his way to Crans-Montana, and he joins us now. He is just outside of Lausanne. Nic, listen, we just heard Nada's report, right, that these are the very early stages of this investigation. What is grim here is so many things, including the fact that many of these were young people and that the authorities themselves, right, Nic, are saying that their main priority is to identify the victims, that they're still at that stage.

And I do want to note, Nick, as you're speaking, it's 8:04 p.m. in Switzerland, and we are looking at live pictures of a memorial that's already started there.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, memorial started during daylight hours this afternoon and continuing to grow. And it is, as you say, the identification of the bodies that the commander of the police in the Valais Canton, where this happened in Crans-Montana, in the Valais Canton, said that it wasn't just the identification of the bodies, but the identification of the injured as well can still take time.

[14:05:00] It paints a very grim picture of the difficulty for the medical staff, the forensic teams that have been working there, the police that are working there, working with the families to try to help the families understand what's happened to loved ones. And it paints a very desperate and sad picture of turmoil, of tragedy that's going to go on through this night and into tomorrow, maybe.

The police have said that it may take days to identify everyone. But it gives you a significant insight into the extent of injuries, if there are people in hospital injured who are being treated, yet the authorities don't know their identities. And it's a priority, the police have said, to be able to bring identification and help all the families to get to grips with what's happening.

The outpouring that we've heard from the president of the Swiss Federation, that is clearly evident in the flowers and floral tributes that are being placed in Crans-Montana tonight. It's evidence of just how deeply this is going to affect and is affecting the country. But it's the families, I think, that everyone here will be thinking of most, knowing and understanding them. Of course, skiing is such a passion for so many Swiss. A resort like Crans-Montana will be known to so many people here.

They may not have stayed there, they may have skied there, they'll perhaps know La Constellation, the underground bar where the fire broke out. They'll be familiar, at least, and perhaps have friends there. And typically, and I've been in Switzerland since then, many new years in the ski resorts here, and it is a moment, like it is across the rest of the world, a huge celebration of fireworks, of fun, of young people who are enjoying themselves on the ski slopes in the day, enjoying themselves in the evening. And it is such a tragedy that this country is now having to grapple with.

NEWTON: Nic, as you mentioned there, it's supposed to be such a moment of celebration. One thing that the Swiss president did remark on as well, that he had already spoken to President Macron of France, and that France will be conducting its own investigation. This investigation has a large international component. Because we don't know the identities yet, we've already heard from several people in several countries looking for their loved ones.

ROBERTSON: It appears early reports are indicating that a couple of French may be among the injured. Early reports are also indicating that Italians may be among the injured and the dead as well. It was significant, some of the questions that were asked at the press conference a couple of hours ago, where the prosecutor was saying it's not yet clear to them precisely how many people were in the bar at the time, what the capacity, the legal capacity, if you will, of the bar would have been, what other requirements would have perhaps needed to be in place, fire requirements, et cetera, on the local and federal Swiss law that would have been required. All of that is such a beginning stage.

But again, the fact that the -- still the police, the prosecutors are still trying to build a picture of how many people were in there before you can begin to address all the other questions that are rising, that people are speaking about, that eyewitnesses are speaking about, the speed with which the fire broke out. People have talked about these sparklers in the champagne bottles that were being carried aloft by one of the barmaids sitting on the shoulders of another barmaid there, getting in the wood of the ceiling.

And people -- witnesses have described within 10 seconds the flames taking such a grip and people rushing for the exits from this underground location that appears to have had a wooden -- that appears to have caught fire so quickly. It's a very unclear picture for investigators about even the fundamentals at this stage. I think we're obviously going to hear a lot more about it.

You know, young people out enjoying a night, their parents, their families will have expected them to have passed it in a safe way. And this will be among the questions that will continue being raised, was that the case?

NEWTON: Yes, such chilling and sobering details there. Our Nic Robertson, who is making his way to Crans-Montana at this hour, grateful to you.

Francois Barras is a retired Swiss diplomat who lives in Crans- Montana, and that's where he joins us now live. Francois, I'm grateful to you for joining us, but also, we extend our condolences to you and the entire community there on what must have been a very joyous day.

[14:10:00]

Apologies there. We seem to have lost Francois Barras. We will continue to try and communicate with him as we get more information there. You are looking at live pictures of that memorial. Again, the authorities saying that they have no idea yet concretely what might have caused it, but already the enormity of this tragedy hitting so many, not just in Switzerland, but beyond.

We will get more on that to you shortly, but coming up for us, a historic day for one of the new faces of the U.S. Democratic Party. Details ahead on Zohran Mamdani inauguration.

And later, the Pink Ladies. A controversial political group out of the U.K. will take a look at their messaging and critics.

And from Taylor Swift to Hollywood's battle with President Trump, a look at the top entertainment stories of the year when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: And we are back with more news on that terrible Swiss tragedy. We've reconnected with Francois Barras, he was a retired Swiss diplomat who lives in the community. I want to thank you for being with us and I do want to offer my condolences again on what must be an absolutely horrific time for the entire --

FRANCOIS BARRAS: Thank you. Thank you, Paula.

NEWTON: -- for the entire community. I really can't imagine. Francois, can you please let us in on what you heard and what you saw over this absolutely tragic evening?

BARRAS: You know, I -- last night.

NEWTON: Unfortunately, we seem to have lost him. Again, we'll continue to try and speak to Francois, who was very, very close to this nightclub and has some interesting insights for us. We will try and renew contact with him.

OK. At any moment now, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to speak on the steps of City Hall in front of a massive crowd. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will administer Mamdani's public oath of office. Just after midnight, he was already sworn in at a private ceremony inside a former subway station. This year will test the Democratic Socialist campaign promises, including his handling of New York's affordability crisis.

The new year is only a few hours old and politics has already taken center stage. We could have guessed that, right, Ron Brownstein? Happy New Year to you, my friend. I'm so happy to see you.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST AND BLOOMBERG OPINION COLUMNIST: Happy New Year, Paula.

NEWTON: So, happy to see you on the first day of 2026. And let's start there with Mamdani and his swearing in, which is about to happen officially any minute. You know, a New York mayor's tenure is always national news, given the importance of New York City. We saw a love in with President Trump in the Oval Office a few weeks ago. But how do you expect his success or failure as mayor will resonate right across the political spectrum in the country, for that matter?

[14:15:00]

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. I think, look, there's unusual amount of attention to him because he is both the exemplar of a growing strain in the Democratic Party, kind of the emergence of a of a strongly economic populist left. And also, as you know, because New York City, in part because so much of the media is center there always draws a lot of attention.

I will say that historically, New York mayors have not really been outsized national figures. I mean, the last one who tried to run for national office was John Lindsay back in the '70s, switching parties and didn't really go anywhere. But I do think there's going to be a lot of attention to Mamdani because, you know, he is really kind of able to try to put into practice ideas that people like Bernie Sanders and AOC as legislators really have only been able to talk about.

And we'll see whether he can build the political coalitions to raise the money to do the things like he wants, like universal child care and free public transportation or, you know, or how this actually unfolds. We really haven't had a great test of that at scale yet.

NEWTON: Yes, it is going to be so interesting to watch. And again, what it means in a midterm year, given we have midterms here in the United States in November. Ron, I don't have to remind you, it's been a quite a political year. You've held our hands through all of it. It's been difficult to catch our breath, right?

But I do want to hone in on two critical things. They were developments in 2025 that will continue in 2026. Firstly, the splintering of MAGA, what caught me by surprise is that after the assassination, that tragic event, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, he was such a political star and such a staunch MAGA ally. I expected the movement would rally in a cohesive way. Instead, it is splintering. And Marjorie Taylor Greene is perhaps only the most notable one. Do you see that splintering continuing, especially as we get closer to those midterms?

BROWNSTEIN: You know, yes and no. I mean, yes, in the sense that Trump is leaving the scene unless he is going to try to run again in 2028, you know, in the clear violation of the Constitution. He is inevitably a lame duck and people are kind of moving in their own way to assert their vision of what the Republican Party and the Republican coalition should be after Trump.

Now, you know, among the rank-and-file Republican voters, he is still overwhelmingly powerful and that gives him enormous leverage, as we have seen, essentially neutering Congress and eliminating any willingness of Republicans there to cross him. I think that this plays out more in kind of the -- you know, the shadow boxing over where the party goes next.

And you have J.D. Vance basically inverting the old Soviet slogan of no enemies to the left. He's basically saying no enemies to the right. Don't excommunicate anyone from the coalition, no matter how extreme their views. And then you see others like the resignations at the Heritage Foundation that are kind of saying, no, wait a minute, we still have to draw some lines at the most antisemitic, racist or sympathetic to Nazi kind of figures on our on our edge. And I do think that's going to be a battle.

And Greene is kind of an interesting wild card, because I don't think she disappears as completely as others who have crossed Trump and walked away. People like Jeff Flake or Thom Tillis is going to be I think she continues to be a visible figure.

NEWTON: Yes, she is so vocal and intent on being vocal. As you said, it's hard to believe that she would slip away, especially since I think she has said and she believes she is tapping into something that the voters won't hear from the next stage of the MAGA movement.

Ron, the Supreme Court stacked with staunchly conservative justices. Now, they have a big majority. So, many big cases up this year from birthright citizenship to tariffs beyond. Do you think it is now dawning on these justices? And this is a point that so many have made time and time again, that they've granted President Trump such executive authority, such a precedent executive authority that look, any president in the future, Democratic or Republican, again, Democratic or Republican will be able to wield this power. So, are you expecting something different from them?

I mean, look, I know there are two or three that are going to be far on the right who will likely never change. I'm thinking more of the middle philosophically and legally.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Look, as you point out, they have been extraordinarily deferential to Trump in allowing him to expand presidential power. This conservative theory of the unitary executive with essentially unlimited control over the executive branch. But as we saw in the National Guard case, you know, there may be some limits they are unwilling to cross, particularly when it goes to extending presidential powers over institutions beyond the federal government, right.

I mean, this was about commandeering State National Guards. We've seen lower courts block the administration's attempts to condition all sorts of federal grants and assistance on blue states and cities adopting conservative policies. That's a place where they might draw a line.

[14:20:00]

You might see them draw lines, certainly on birthright citizenship. I mean, that seems so open and shut, what the 14th Amendment meant, that it's hard to imagine how they could argue their way into allowing Trump to do what he wants to do. And then on tariffs, you know, limiting Trump on tariffs would kind of be a for the Supreme Court Republican justices.

On the one hand, it would allow them to kind of send a signal of independence from Trump. On the other hand, it would advance a cause that most of the institutions within the Republican Party support, which is rolling back these tariffs.

I think on balance, this court has been and will continue to be mostly deferential to Trump, but there may be places where they draw the line. And I would not be surprised if birthright citizenship and tariffs, like the National Guard case, are some of those.

NEWTON: Interesting. And we were talking about Mamdani, certainly a good year, some would say, for the Democrats, given the loss that they had of the presidency. What do you believe is the main danger for them going into the midterms? Because as you know, they are obviously encouraged by what they see, but a long road ahead in order to take Congress.

BROWNSTEIN: The main danger for the midterm is probably over- interpreting the midterm. You know, the history of our midterms are that they are very much quasi-parliamentary elections. They're really less about individual candidates than they used to be, and they're more about which party you want to have control of the national agenda. And that question turns on attitudes toward the existing incumbent president.

With Trump's approval rating where it is, it would be very surprising if Democrats don't win the House. But it is possible to take the wrong message from that. You know, the biggest risk to Democrats is they assume that even a good midterm in 2026 means they have solved their problems with the electorate, especially the bigger electorate, much bigger electorate, that votes in presidential years. So, you know, Democrats, I think, mostly have to stay out of the way in 2026. They basically have to avoid giving voters who are inclined to try to check Trump a reason to stick with Republicans. They don't have to solve their big messaging and coalition problems, but they do need to solve those for 2028.

And, you know, if we talk about the original sin, to borrow from our colleague's title of his book about Biden, the original sin on Biden was not only overlooking his age, it was over-interpreting the relatively good performance of Democrats in '22, and assuming that meant that Biden could write out discontent in '24. And I see the same risk as the biggest challenge for Democrats in '26.

NEWTON: Yes, and that's saying a lot in the sense that they do still have to get through the midterms where it's looking good right now. But as you've reminded us many times, a lot of months ahead before that -- before those voters actually go to the polls. Ron Brownstein, so good to see you. I wish you a very happy and healthy 2026 with lots of work here on CNN.

BROWNSTEIN: Same to you. Thanks, Paula.

NEWTON: Thanks.

BROWNSTEIN: OK.

NEWTON: Now, a group in the U.K. is gaining attention with their bright colors and controversial message. The Pink Ladies say their mission is to protect women. But opponents say it's a cover to promote a racist agenda. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet the Pink Ladies, a new face of Britain's growing anti-immigration movement.

We went to one of their Pink protests just outside London to try and understand what this is all about.

ORIA MINIHANE, ORGANIZER, THE PINK LADIES: We've got our own scumbags, our own predators and our own sex pests. We do not need to bring in more every day. Men from cultures that do not think like we do. Who treat women like third class citizens. And who think it's acceptable to marry eight- and nine-year-old girls.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): This is not racism, they say. And they're not the far-right. But a lot of what we heard sounded an awful lot like the far-right's narrative.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They need to get their army involved. We're being invaded.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's bloody terrible. It's all over Europe. You know, being invaded.

KARADSHEH: By? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By illegal migrants.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Advocacy groups say exploiting the issue of violence against women and genuine safety concerns is a common far- right tactic.

The Pink Ladies say they're grassroots. Women concerned about mass migration and what it means for their safety and the future of their country.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

Putting out catchy tunes like this one that market their agenda. This so far small group emerged a few months ago. At a time of rising tensions over migration with the far-right seizing on that.

KARADSHEH: A lot of people looking at what's happening in the U.K. from the outside. They might say that a lot of the things that you are saying are the talking points of the far-right.

[14:25:00]

MINIHANE: What is far-right? Far-right is extremists. Far-left is extremism. How am I extremist? I'm just a mom who's worked her whole life. Who's bringing up three children. Who lives in suburbia. I don't want my daughter to be sexually assaulted by men that have come over to this country that we've got no background checks on. If that makes me a far-right, then there's something very concerning with the rhetoric, right?

KARADSHEH (voice-over): That's Orla Minihane. She's a local candidate for the right-wing populist party Reform U.K.

Amid this show of pink solidarity. And what was mostly a jovial and at times surreal atmosphere we heard from women worried about their safety and that of their daughters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women are scared to walk anywhere. And, you know, we live in a small town.

MINIHANE: This is the seriousness of what we're dealing with.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): The government doesn't publish detailed figures on crimes committed by asylum seekers, but there have been some high-profile cases that have put women and girls on edge. On top of that, there are the twisted facts that go unchecked.

[13:25:00]

MINIHANE: These five women have died. Have been murdered at the hands of an illegal migrant catastrophe that this government is letting happen --

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Except two of the suspects in these five horrific murder cases are British nationals. But for Laura and others what they heard here was enough for them to make up their minds. KARADSHEH: What is it that is making you feel unsafe?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's all the rapes, murders. You know what they've been talking about today.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Chelmsford, England.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Coming up, what was supposed to be a moment of celebration and joy turned into a night of tragedy in the Swiss Alps. Ahead, we'll have the latest on a deadly fire that claimed dozens of lives and what investigators are saying now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: And welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Paula Newton. Turning back to our top story, the president of Switzerland is calling it one of the worst tragedies our country has ever known. Now, investigators are trying to figure out exactly what happened at an exclusive ski resort and why. Police say about 40 people are dead and 115 others. Critically injured, many of them still in critical condition. That was after flames tore through a bar in the Swiss Alps.

Now, it happened in the French-speaking region of Crans-Montana as people were ringing in the New Year early Thursday morning. Police have ruled out a terror attack, and they say the victims were likely of different nationalities.

[14:30:00]

Here's how one witness described the horrific scene and what happened afterwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOMINIC DUBOIS, WITNESS: Understandably, they don't want civilians getting in and involving and getting in the way. And many were able to help, carrying, I don't want to say corpses. I think everyone who was out and kind of reactive survived. But carrying bodies out of the fire from there, at least a bit further away. You see there, there's the bar (INAUDIBLE). That was the first kind of responding place. They did amazing to stay open. It was warm in there. That was what was needed.

As mentioned before, the main, I think, problem was the temperature shock from the heat inside to the cold outside. So, one of the priorities was to get everyone warm. I mean, I'm talking the curtains of the restaurant was used. And yes, I mean, many, many gory scenes. There were many who were very strong, who stayed strong and who understood that their life was in great danger, but decided that mentally it was more important to stay calm.

We pushed all the tables. All the tables were pushed aside and people entered. And it was warm in there. There was more light as well. So, the triage was done there. All the paramedics -- I mean, paramedics, police, not the firemen. The firemen were out here. But -- and then it was just ambulances coming back and forth as much as possible, bringing them down to the Mubra.

The Mubra, from my understanding, was for the less severe victims. So, basically, they told us anyone that can walk, anyone who was pretty conscious can go there. And then the others were taken down to wherever else they're taken to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: A disturbing account there from that eyewitness. Bettina Prendergast is a correspondent for ORF and she joins me now, as you can see there, from the community of Ponce, Montana. And it looks like you're at a memorial.

Again, I cannot imagine the depth of really sadness there in the community. Can you give us an indication, just kind of what people are saying about how this could have happened and how they go on from here when so many people still remain unidentified?

BETTINA PRENDERGAST, ORF CORRESPONDENT, SWITZERLAND: Absolutely. It's very quiet here -- it's a candlelight vigil, as you can see in the background going on. -- it's unspeakable that so many young people perished last night in this dreadful fire. The -- that way, you can't see anything. The Swiss have put up tents. It's very, very secluded. Nobody can go in. Sometimes police is coming.

What caused the fire? We don't know. And the authorities are very reluctant to give us any information. There was a press conference this afternoon. And there was -- victims is about between 60 -- I've spoken to some people here, some young people from Paris. They are missing their friends. They haven't seen them. They left the bar early and they don't know what happened to their friends. And they told me that a lot of -- fake ID.

So, the authorities will have great trouble to actually find out the real age of these people because if they have fake ID, they got in. The bar is open to people when they're 16 years old. I was told among the victims is a young 14-year-old from Paris.

I have to say this is not officially confirmed information. This is all what I hear from people who are here, who are gathering here. They are devastated. This is absolutely dreadful news that Crans-Montana and whole Switzerland woke up to today. And the -- last night are here tonight to pay their respects as well in this very quiet vigil.

NEWTON: Yes, indeed. And the whole community will need a lot of strength over the coming days to really deal with some of the details. Bettina, grateful for you for being there. Appreciate it.

Now, anti-government protests in Iran have now turned deadly as clashes with police forces. At least two were killed this morning in a confrontation in the southwestern part of that country. That's according to the state-affiliated Fars News Agency. It's unclear if the casualties were protesters or law enforcement. In a separate incident Wednesday night, a member of Iran's paramilitary forces was reportedly killed. Now, the protests have spread right across the country in the past week. They were sparked by a dire economic crisis. Our Paula Hancocks picks up the story from there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are the biggest demonstrations seen in Iran for three years, traders and shopkeepers walk through a Tehran bazaar chanting, close it down.

[14:35:00]

Many shops did this week, shutting their doors in protest, furious at the country's currency plummeting to a record low, pushing inflation and the cost of living to unbearable levels.

This is the year of blood, Sayed Ali will be toppled, a popular chant by protesters referring to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for the collapse of the regime.

Economic pain is being blamed on government mismanagement. Similar rallies are being seen in cities across Iran. Police deploy tear gas in some areas of Tehran, a lone protester covers his face but refuses to move, a significant act of defiance in a country where dissent has been met with Swift and deadly force in recent years.

President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the public anger, stating, the livelihood of the people is my daily concern. Adding, he has tasked the Minister of Interior to hear the legitimate demands of the protesters.

The head of Iran's Central Bank has resigned. Food prices have risen more than 70 percent since this time last year, inflation for December year on year is at more than 40 percent, the regime cannot ignore these protests. Merchants played a crucial role in the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the monarchy and brought the Islamists to power.

Students at several universities have staged their own demonstrations calling for economic justice. It is unclear at this point how widespread this dissent might become.

ABBAS ASLANI, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, CENTER FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STRATEGIC STUDIES: The average citizens and ordinary public is not joining this, let's say protest and because there is no bright and clear picture of the day after and there is no, let's say credible alternative to this political system.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Hundreds of women ran a marathon on Iran's Kish Island in early December without mandatory head scarves. Similar acts in the past have sparked bloody crackdowns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You're earning 15 million tomans a month, so you should understand people's struggle but you don't. HANCOCKS (voice-over): Those desperate for reforms in Iran are once again this week, testing cracks in the wall of the Islamic regime that they want to see crumble.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:40:00]

NEWTON: And we do want to take you live now to New York City Hall where Mayor Zohran Mamdani is about to be sworn in. We are going to listen now to Senator Bernie Sanders talking about one of the centerpieces promises of that mayor, the new mayor, affordability.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): And now, it is my honor to swear in your new mayor.

CROWD: Zohran, Zohran, Zohran.

SANDERS: Please repeat after me. I, Zohran Kwame Mamdani,

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D-NY): I, Zohran Kwame Mamdani --

SANDERS: -- do solemnly swear --

MAMDANI: -- do solemnly swear --

SANDERS: -- that I will support the Constitution of the United States --

MAMDANI: -- that I will support the Constitution of the United States --

SANDERS: -- the Constitution of the State of New York --

MAMDANI: -- the Constitution of the State of New York --

SANDERS: -- and the Charter of the City of New York.

MAMDANI: -- and the Charter of the City of New York.

SANDERS: And that I will faithfully discharge the duties --

MAMDANI: And that I will faithfully discharge the duties --

SANDERS: -- of the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York --

MAMDANI: -- of the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York --

SANDERS: -- according to the best of my ability.

MAMDANI: -- according to the best of my ability.

SANDERS: So, help me God.

MAMDANI: So, help me God.

My fellow New Yorkers, today begins a new era. I stand before you moved by the privilege of taking this sacred oath, humbled by the faith that you have placed in me, and honored to serve as either your 111th or 112th mayor of New York City.

But I do not stand alone. I stand alongside you, the tens of thousands of you gathered here in Lower Manhattan, warmed against the January chill by the resurgent flame of hope. I stand alongside countless more New Yorkers, watching from cramped kitchens in Flushing and barbershops in East New York, from cell phones propped against the dashboards of parked taxi cabs at LaGuardia, from hospitals in Mott Haven and libraries in El Barrio that have too long known only neglect.

I stand alongside construction workers in steel-toed boots and halal cart vendors whose knees ache from working all day. I stand alongside neighbors who carry a plate of food to the elderly couple down the hall, those in a rush who still lift strangers' strollers up subway stairs, and every person who makes the choice, day after day, even when it feels impossible, to call our city home.

I stand alongside over 1 million New Yorkers who voted for this day nearly two months ago. And I stand just as resolutely alongside those who did not. I know there are some who view this administration with distrust or disdain, or who see politics as permanently broken.

And while only action can change minds, I promise you this. If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor. Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you, and never, not for a second, hide from you.

I thank the labor and movement leaders here today, the activists and the elected officials who will return to fighting for New Yorkers the second this ceremony concludes, and the performers who have gifted us with their talent.

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Thank you to Governor Hochul. Thank you as well to Mayor Adams. Dorothy's son, a son of Brownsville, who rose from washing dishes to the highest position in our city for being here as well. He and I have had our share of disagreements, but I will always be touched that he chose me as the mayoral candidate that he would most want to be trapped with on an elevator.

Thank you to the two titans who as an assembly member I've had the privilege of being represented by in Congress, Nydia Velazquez and our incredible opening speaker, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. You have paved the way for this moment.

Thank you to the man whose leadership I seek most to emulate, who I am so grateful to be sworn in by today, Senator Bernie Sanders. Thank you to my teams, from the Assembly to the campaign to the transition, and now the team I am so excited to lead from City Hall.

Thank you to my parents, mama and baba, for raising me, for teaching me how to be in this world and for having brought me to this city. Thank you to my family, from Kampala to Delhi. And thank you to my wife, Rama, for being my best friend and for always showing me the beauty in everyday things. And most of all, thank you to the people of New York.

A moment like this comes rarely. Seldom do we hold such an opportunity to transform and reinvent. Rarer still is it the people themselves, whose hands are the ones upon the levers of change. And yet we know that too often in our past, moments of great possibility have been promptly surrendered to small imagination and smaller ambition. What was promised was never pursued. What could have changed remained the same.

For the New Yorkers most eager to see our city remade, the weight has only grown heavier. The weight has only grown longer. In writing this address, I have been told that this is the occasion to reset expectations, that I should use this opportunity to encourage the people of New York to ask for little and expect even less. I will do no such thing.

The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations. Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously. We may not always succeed, but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try.

To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this. No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers' lives. For too long we have turned to the private sector for greatness while accepting mediocrity from those who serve the public. I cannot blame anyone who has come to question the role of government, whose faith in democracy has been eroded by decades of apathy. We will restore that trust by walking a different path, one where government is no longer solely the final recourse for those struggling, one where excellence is no longer the exception.

We expect greatness from the cooks wielding a thousand spices, from those who stride out onto our Broadway stages and from our starting point guard at Madison Square Garden. Let us demand the same from those who work in government. In a city where the mere names of our streets are associated with the innovation of the industries that call them home, we will make the word City Hall synonymous with both resolve and results.

As we embark upon this work, let us advance a new question, a new answer to the question asked of every generation. Who does New York belong to? For much of our history the response from City Hall has been simple. It belongs only to the wealthy and well-connected, those who never strain to capture the attention of those in power.

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Working people have reckoned with the consequences. Crowded classrooms and public housing developments where the elevators sit out of orders, roads littered with potholes and buses that arrive half an hour late if at all, wages that do not rise and corporations that rip off consumers and employees alike. And still, there have been brief fleeting moments where the equation changed.

Twelve years ago, Bill de Blasio stood where I stand now as he promised to put an end to economic and social inequalities that divided our city into two. In 1990, David Dinkins swore the same oath I swore today, vowing to celebrate the gorgeous mosaic that is New York, where every one of us is deserving of a decent life. And nearly six decades before him, Fiorello La Guardia took office with the goal of building a city that was far greater and more beautiful for the hungry and the poor.

Some of these mayors achieved more success than others, but they were unified by a shared belief that New York could belong to more than just a privileged few. It could belong to those who operate our subways and rake our parks, those who feed us biryani and beef patties, picanha and pastrami on rye. And they know that this belief could be made true if only government dared to work hardest for those who work hardest.

Over the years to come, my administration will resurrect that legacy. City Hall will deliver an agenda of safety, affordability, and abundance, where government looks and lives like the people it represents, never flinches in the fight against corporate greed, and refuses to cower before challenges that others have deemed too complicated.

In so doing, we will provide our own answer to that age-old question, who does New York belong to? Well, my friends, we can look to Madiba and the South African Freedom Charter. New York belongs to all who live in it. Together, we will tell a new story of our city. This will not be a tale of one city governed only by the 1 percent, nor will it be a tale of two cities, the rich versus the poor. It will be a tale of eight and a half million cities, each of them a New Yorker with hopes and fears, each a universe, each of them woven together.

The authors of this story will speak Pashto and Mandarin, Yiddish and Creole. They will pray in mosques, at shul, at church, at gurudwaras and mandirs and temples. And many will not pray at all. They will be Russian Jewish immigrants in Brighton Beach, Italians in Rossville, and Irish families in Woodhaven, many of whom came here with nothing but a dream of a better life, a dream which has withered away. They will be young people in cramped Marble Hill apartments, where the walls shake when the subway passes. They will be black homeowners in St. Albans, whose homes represent a physical testament to triumph over decades of lesser-paid labor and redlining. They will be Palestinian New Yorkers in Bay Ridge, who will no longer have to contend with a politics that speaks of universalism and then makes them the exception.

Few of these eight and a half million will fit into neat and easy boxes. Some will be voters from Hillside Avenue or Fordham Road who supported President Trump a year before they voted for me, tired of being failed by their party's establishment. The majority will not use the language that we often expect from those who wield influence. I welcome the change.

For too long, those fluent in the good grammar of civility have deployed decorum to mask agendas of cruelty. Many of these people have been betrayed by the established order. But in our administration, their needs will be met. Their hopes and dreams and interests will be reflected transparently in government. They will shape our future. And if for too long these communities have existed as distinct from one another, we will draw this city closer together. We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.

If our campaign demonstrated that the people of New York yearn for solidarity, then let this government foster it.

[14:55:00]

Because no matter what you eat, how you pray, or where you come from, the words that most define us are the two we all share, New Yorkers. And it will be New Yorkers --

NEWTON: And you have been listening to the new mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, giving his acceptance speech there on the first day in office. He declared this a new era. This is a much more unifying speech than he gave after his victory, certainly saying that many had encouraged him to reset expectations -- no, Mr. Mamdani has indeed instead doubled down, saying this will be -- his tenure will be about safety, affordability, and abundance.

Remember that he ran on that platform of affordability a tough order anywhere in the United States, but certainly in New York City. He says City Hall will become synonymous with resolve and results. I think what was also interesting here was his call out to the business community in New York, saying that New York will now be about solidarity and collectivism.

I remind everyone as well that he had a very good meeting with President Trump. It does not seem like the president really wants to do any harm to this mayor, but he will have his own expectations now to meet. He did indeed say as well that he stands with all New Yorkers, even those who call New York home, but sometimes find it impossible to do so.

That does it for this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Paula Newton in New York. I want to thank all of you for watching. Please stay with us, though. We will have much more on our breaking coverage of the tragedy in Switzerland.

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