New York City Mayor Eric Adams reacted to criticism over the NYPD’s response to the pro-Hamas insurgency at Columbia University last week.
After anti-Israel militants stormed Hamilton Hall on the Ivy League school’s Gotham campus, breaking windows and occupying the building, the university and the city had enough, and police in riot gear reacted with a mass operation to clear out the protesters.
The boys in blue doing their jobs infuriated leftists including congressional crybaby Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) who accused the cops of a militarized response that was an affront to democracy, one of the most misused terms in the English language these days.
Hizzoner defended his police during an appearance on Sunday morning’s edition of ABC’s “This Week” where he was grilled by host Jonathan Karl who confronted him about the hotheaded “Squad” members’ remarks, which were posted to the X platform.
“When you are on college grounds and you do not attend that college, you are an outsider, and then when you train people to do disruptive things, you are an agitator,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams says of some protesters on college campuses. https://t.co/ohvxkZsvmx pic.twitter.com/zC4g6dhuuN
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 5, 2024
“We want to ensure we protect democracy and the right to protest,” the mayor told the ABC talking head.
“But we have an obligation that, when those protests reach the point of violence, as the president stated,” Adams said, “we have to ensure that we use a minimum amount of force to terminate what is perceived to be a threat — not only by our intelligence but also the school and college officials.”
“We communicated with the college officials for several days leading up to the New York City Police Department action,” he added, when asked whether the NYPD should have responded earlier. “And we knew we had to get permission unless there’s imminent threat to life or severe threat to property. And once the school made the determination, we shared the information that we had.”
“Our intelligence division looked at it, and it was concerning to me,” the retired cop continued. “But we were not going to overstep our legal authority and right to do so.”
Bowman, a cartoon version of a member of Congress, blasted the police for moving in to put the adults back in charge at Columbia.
The militarization of college campuses, extensive police presence, and arrest of hundreds of students are in direct opposition to the role of education as a cornerstone of our democracy.
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) May 1, 2024
These are students.
In no world should our kids be met with guns when using their constitutional right to peacefully assemble. https://t.co/w5KxvkOw6h
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) May 1, 2024
Adams blew off Bowman’s whining.
“That’s the beauty of America. One has the right to have his or her opinion, and I respect that. I protested as a young man for apartheid and other issues to dismantle apartheid. And so, I respect that,” he said of his fellow Democrat. “He has his position. And I have an obligation and responsibility to ensure the city is safe.”
The volatile left-wing lawmaker doubled down on making a fool out of himself when he likened the police on campus to the 1970 “Kent State massacre” when Ohio National Guard troops opened fire on antiwar protesters, killing four people in an incident during the height of the Vietnam war.
55 years ago, 4 college students were killed by the National Guard at Kent State for peacefully protesting the Vietnam War.
Now, our campuses are being militarized in response to students protesting collective punishment in Gaza. We must allow our students to stand for justice.
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) May 4, 2024
Adams also stood by his remarks about outside agitators fomenting the unrest at Columbia.
“Anyone can protest in the city, but when you are on college grounds and you do not attend that college, you are an outsider,” he said. “And then when you train people to do disruptive things, you are an agitator.”
“So I’m not trying to be politically correct,” Adams added. “I’m trying to be correct for the city of New York as we make sure this continues to be safe.”
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Author: Chris Donaldson
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