New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism after issuing his first veto, which blocks a bipartisan proposal intended to address antisemitism by increasing security measures around protests near schools and other educational sites.
The mayor defended his decision in a statement Friday. “This could impact workers protesting ICE or college students demanding their school divest from fossil fuels or demonstrating in support of Palestinian rights,” Mamdani said. He added, “It is a piece of legislation that has alarmed much of the labor movement, reproductive rights groups and immigration advocates, among others, across this city.”
Fox News reports on the data behind the bill: “According to the NYPD, antisemitic incidents accounted for 57% of reported hate crimes in 2025, although only approximately 10% of New York City residents are Jewish. Jewish New Yorkers were the targets of hate crimes more than all other groups combined.”
The measure had cleared the City Council with a 30–19 vote late last month before being halted by the veto. In the aftermath, critics argued the proposal was necessary to strengthen protections around schools and students.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center voiced strong opposition in a post on X, stating, “We are deeply disappointed by Mayor Mamdani’s veto of legislation designed to help protect students from intimidation and disruption outside schools.” The group continued, “The right to protest and the right to an education can and must 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.”
Political commentator Ari Hoffman also criticized the move, writing, “Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D- HAMAS) vetoed a bill for buffer zones around schools because it ‘could impact workers protesting ICE, or college students demanding their school divest from fossil fuels, or demonstrating in support of Palestinian rights,’” in a post on X.
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran against Mamdani as an independent in last year’s mayoral race, condemned the veto as well. He said Mamdani “chose the whims of his radical, extreme-left DSA base over the safety of students and Jewish New Yorkers at a time of rising antisemitism.”
Cuomo added, “Instead of governing for all NYers, Mamdani has repealed the very definition of antisemitism from the city’s books, changed how antisemitic crimes are counted and now vetoed these commonsense security measures when they are needed most,” and concluded, “I proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with my Jewish brothers and sisters — just as the Cuomos always have, and always will.”
The legislation, known as Int. 175-B, would require city law enforcement agencies to create a strategy aimed at preventing physical obstruction, harm, intimidation, and disruption at educational facilities, while still preserving the right to protest and other First Amendment activities. The policy would apply broadly to “any building, structure, or place where educational programming takes place.”