New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is reacting after using his first veto to derail a bipartisan bill aimed at combating anti-Semitism by expanding protest security protections for places of education.
“This could affect workers demanding ICE or college students divest their schools of fossil fuels or demonstrate in support of Palestinian rights,” Mamdani said in a statement Friday.
“It’s a piece of legislation that has alarmed many in the labor movement, reproductive rights groups and immigration advocates, among others, across this city.”
Former New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent against Mamdani in last year’s mayoral race, criticized Mamdani’s decision on X, saying, “He chose his radical, far-left DSA base at a time of growing opposition to the safety of students and Jewish New Yorkers.”
Mamdani is an existential threat to Jewish New Yorkers
Zohran Mamdani announced the new members of his team at Brooklyn Public Library Greenpoint Branch Brooklyn December 17, 2025.
(Getty Images)
“Instead of governing for all NYers, Mamdani has removed the definition of anti-Semitism from the city’s books, changed how anti-Semitic crimes are counted and now vetoed these common security measures when they are needed most,” Cuomo continued.
Read on the Fox News app
“I proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with my Jewish brothers and sisters — as Cuomo always has, and always will.”
Bill, Int. 175-B, requires New York law enforcement to develop a plan that includes the risk of physical restraint, physical injury, intimidation and interference with educational facilities while still allowing for freedom of assembly and First-Amendment events. The plan would then apply to “any building, structure, or place where an educational program takes place.”
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin touted the bill as key to countering the threat of anti-Semitism.
Menin said in March that it was “part of a five-point action plan to combat anti-Semitism led by the Council.”
Elite university attended by Trump’s son cracks down on left-wing student protesters
Julie Menin, Speaker of the New York City Council, speaks during an announcement on Jan. 12, 2026, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
“According to the NYPD, 57% of reported hate crimes in 2025 were anti-Semitic incidents, even though only about 10% of New York City residents are Jewish. Jewish New Yorkers were the target of more hate crimes than any other group.”
The bill was passed by the New York City Council late last month by a vote of 30-19.
Online commentators criticized the veto, pointing to the need for increased security.
“We are deeply disappointed by Mayor Mamdani’s veto of legislation designed to help protect students from bullying and harassment outside of school,” the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish advocacy group, told X in a post.
“The right to protest and the right to education can and should coexist. We urge the City Council to override this veto and reaffirm a basic principle: protecting students is not politics; it is a civic responsibility.”
“Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D-HAMAS) vetoed the bill for buffer zones around schools because it could affect ‘workers protesting ICE, or college students demanding to divest their schools of fossil fuels, or demonstrating in support of Palestinian rights,'” wrote Ari Hoffman, a political commentator, in his post.
“All the bills require is a clear security plan around schools with law enforcement.”
Mamdani approved a similar bill that would apply to religious sites. He said he was concerned about the wide range of what the second bill meant by “educational facilities”.
“The issue is how broadly the bill defines an educational institution and the constitutional concerns it raises regarding the fundamental right of New Yorkers to protest. As the bill is written, it could face bans everywhere from universities to museums to teaching hospitals,” Mamdani said in a statement.
NYC rabbi warns Zohran Mamdani ‘poses threat’ to Jewish community’s safety
November 15, 2024 The sun sets over the skyline of Midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building in New York City.
Click here to download the Fox News app
The City Council can override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds vote, according to the New York City charter. A vote of 33 out of 50 members of the chamber is required to do so.
Assuming the bill retains the support of legislators who initially brought it out of the council, three more votes are needed to secure its passage over Mamdani’s objection.
Original article source: Mamdani derails bipartisan effort to fight anti-Semitism in hot seat after first veto: ‘disappointed’
