Bagpipes and marching bands lined the streets of New York City as the 265th annual Saint Patrick's Day parade stepped off on Fifth Avenue.

"The city respects the Irish, it's an important part of the character and fiber of the city," said Robert James “Bob” McCann, the grand marshal of the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani marched in the parade alongside NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch as they waved to parade-goers along the route.

Before the parade, the mayor hosted an Irish breakfast at Gracie Mansion, where he hosted Mary Robinson, Ireland's former president.

The mayor praised Robinson, who was the first woman to be president, for her stances on climate issues, the LGBTQ+ community and her support of Palestine.

"She transformed the lives of so many Irish women at every stage of her career, how she advocated for workers, how she fought for reproductive rights, and I think also of how she stood steadfast alongside the people of Palestine. I say this as over the past few years, as we've witnessed a genocide unfold before our eyes, there has been deafening silence from so many," the mayor said.

Mamdani also praised Robinson for never being silent on the issue.

"Palestinians are so often left to weep alone. Yet former President Robinson has never been silent, not when she was president, not when she was high commissioner for Human Rights, and not in the decades since. As she once said, commemoration is a moral act. Her solidarity is many things — unwavering, sincere and chief among them, Irish. Irish solidarity is no coincidence," the mayor said.

Along the parade route, the mayor's team held a yellow rope as a buffer between him and the press as they marched up Fifth Avenue.

He took his sentiments to the streets, elaborating on the Irish's perseverance and solidarity for freedom and human rights during an impromptu news conference at the start of the parade route.

"Even though the Irish have often had solidarity withheld from them, especially as we know when Irish Americans first came to these shores, they found a number of businesses outside that would hold signs saying Irish need not apply, it is truly a testament to the Irish spirit of that we are here today," the mayor said.

Between the politics, a moment of prayer was shared as the mayor attended Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral and attended Archbishop Hick's luncheon later in the day.

"I found the archbishop to be an inspiration not just to Catholic New Yorkers, but New Yorkers across the five boroughs with a vision of uplifting those who are too often forgotten," the mayor said.