NEW YORK CITY – Today, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani vetoed Intro 175-B, legislation that directs the New York Police Department to establish rules restricting protest outside of educational facilities. The administration will let Intro 1-B, which applies to areas around houses of worship and which the Council passed with a veto-proof majority, lapse into effect. Together the two so-called buffer zone bills have drawn fierce opposition from the NYCLU and partners.
The following statement is attributable to NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman:
“Protest is in the DNA of our city, from Stonewall to No Kings. We applaud the Mayor for vetoing Intro 175-B, legislation that would abandon our city’s history, endanger our right to speak out, and make it more likely that going to school, a library, or even a hospital leads to an encounter with police.
“At a time when New Yorkers are taking to the streets in historic numbers to defend our hard-won freedoms and resist the Trump regime – as we must – the City should be looking to support, not stifle, our right to speak out. We’re glad the Mayor takes free speech seriously and honors our city’s long legacy of activism.
“While we recognize that Intro 1-B passed with a veto-proof majority, the NYCLU will be monitoring its implementation closely. In particular, it must not run afoul of the critical protections the NYCLU and partners agreed to with the City as part of the NYPD protest settlement in the aftermath of sweeping NYPD misconduct and rights violations during the George Floyd protests of 2020.”
In addition to fighting anti-speech legislation at the New York City Council, the NYCLU has also been opposing state legislation to restrict protest. This week, the NYCLU held a rally and press conference at the statehouse and issued statements of opposition with labor, reproductive rights, and education organizations, as well as elected officials. On April 7th, the NYCLU filed a lawsuit against Nassau County’s unconstitutional 35-feet & 100-feet no speech zone policies.
###
