Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Friday he would veto a controversial “buffer zone” bill to restrict protests around educational institutions, calling it an excessive restriction of the First Amendment.
The veto is the first of Mamdani’s administration.
The mayor said he would not veto a similar recent bill restricting protests near houses of worship. City Council Speaker Julie Menin had framed both bills as common-sense safety measures to protect people from harassment.
But Mamdani said the implications of limits on protests at campuses and schools were too broad.
“As the bill is written, everywhere from universities to museums to teaching hospitals could face restrictions,” he said in a statement. “This could impact workers protesting [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement], or college students demanding their school divest from fossil fuels or demonstrating in support of Palestinian rights.”
Political Glance
For two years, establishment Democrats have led a wide-ranging legal attack on University of Michigan pro-Palestinian student activists, aiming to shut down their protest of Israel. On Sunday, Democratic Party delegates symbolically rebuked the establishment’s draconian campaign. Two pro-Palestinian candidates notched upset wins against pro-Israel-backed opponents in statewide primary races in this critical upper Midwest swing state.
A White House photo celebrating a champion women’s sports team has drawn backlash due to the positioning of Donald Trump and a group of men, who overshadowed the female athletes by lining up in front of them.
A day after Virginia voters passed a redistricting referendum expected to net Democrats more House seats, a Republican-appointed judge blocked its implementation.
Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, a US appeals court ruled Tuesday in a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into schools.
A watchdog organization has filed a new request for records pertaining to FBI Director Kash Patel, citing new reports of excessive alcohol use from the intelligence chief.
Pundit Tucker Carlson is expressing regret for voicing support for President Trump.





























