Last month, the New York City Council passed the so-called “buffer zone” bills that Council Speaker Julie Menin & Council Member Eric Dinowitz introduced under the auspices of combating antisemitism. In reality, these bills do nothing to address antisemitism. They were written to crack down on protest, and we know these attacks on civil liberties do not make any New Yorkers safer. Although the bills passed, the fight to keep them from becoming law isn’t over. Mayor Mamdani has until April 24 to sign or veto the legislation.
Here’s the background: These two bills, Intro 1B and 175B, were responses to Palestine solidarity protests on campuses and outside synagogue real estate events promoting the illegal sale of Palestinian land. The bills grant the NYPD total discretion to block off no-protest or “buffer” zones around religious sites (1B) and educational facilities (175B). 1B, focused on houses of worship, passed in the city council with a veto-proof majority. This means that even if Mayor Mamdani vetoes it, Speaker Menin has enough votes to override the veto. Intro 175B passed with a narrower margin; if the mayor vetoes it and all the council members who voted against it stay strong, we can stop 175B from becoming law.