Mamdani Vetoes Bill Requiring Security Plans for Protests Near Schools

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani vetoed a measure that he said could be improperly applied to “college students demanding their school divest from fossil fuels or demonstrating in support of Palestinian rights,” The New York Times reported.

Under the vetoed City Council bill, the New York Police Department would have to create plans for how to “contain the risk of physical obstruction, physical injury, intimidation, and interference at educational facilities while preserving and protecting the rights to free speech, assembly, and protest.” That could include establishing security perimeters to protect entry to and from educational facilities. Whatever plan the department creates would then have to be posted publicly.

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University applauded the veto in a statement, noting that it had previously warned the bill could chill lawful protests.

“We welcome the Mayor’s veto of legislation that would have charged the NYPD with setting the rules around lawful political protest near thousands of schools and educational facilities across the city,” said Xiangnong Wang, staff attorney at the institute. “Governments shouldn’t entrust law enforcement with determining the limits of political expression.”

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who supported the legislation, said in a statement that “ensuring students can enter and exit their schools without fear of harassment or intimidation should not be controversial.” The Times reported that she’s considering whipping the votes to override the mayor’s veto.