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1h ago

NYPD Backs Revised Worship‑Site Protest Bill, Raises Questions on School Measure

After dropping fixed buffer zones, the Council’s package now centers on requiring public NYPD protocols rather than preset distances.

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 19: Pro-Palestinians gather at 'No Settlers on Stolen Land' protest against a settler-recruitment event at the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, hosted by Nefesh B'nefesh, an organization that helps American Jews immigrate to Israel, on Wednesday night, November 19, 2025, New York City, United States. Pro-Palestinian protesters shouted phrases including 'Intifada revolution', 'Death to the IDF,', 'No peace on stolen land', 'We don't want no Zionists here,' and "resistance is glorious," as a smaller group of Jewish counter-protesters insulted, shone bright flashlights, blasted horns and whistles at the pro-Palestinians outside the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, New York City. (Photo by Selçuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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A group of people holding protest signs stand on the steps of a building.

Overview

  • Council leaders removed the proposed 100‑foot and barrier mandates on Feb. 24, shifting the bills to require the NYPD to develop and publish protest‑response protocols for houses of worship and schools.
  • At the Feb. 25 hearing, the NYPD said it has no objections to the houses‑of‑worship bill, describing it as formalizing existing practice and pledging to preserve protesters’ sight‑and‑sound access.
  • Deputy Commissioner Michael Gerber raised legal and operational concerns about applying uniform standards to schools, particularly on private property, and questioned certain reporting and emergency‑planning provisions.
  • Roughly 100 protesters gathered outside City Hall over free‑speech concerns as unions and the NYCLU pressed opposition, while the ADL, UJA‑Federation and interfaith leaders voiced support.
  • Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not committed to signing the measures as his law department reviews them; a vote has not been scheduled and the worship‑site bill counts 27 co‑sponsors, short of a veto‑proof margin.