NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Councilmember Yusef Salaam introduced a package of revised bills on Wednesday aimed at combating hate crimes.
The legislation follows a series of antisemitic, racist, and anti-religious incidents reported across the city since the start of the year.
“These hateful incidents inflict real harm in our communities who can be afraid of coming together to worship one another,” said Councilmember Yusef Salaam.
The revised proposal would require the NYPD to develop a formal plan to establish safety perimeters at entrances and exits of religious institutions and schools when there is a risk of injury, intimidation, or interference.
Speaker Menin insists the bills protect constitutional rights.
“Freedom of speech is truly sacrosanct, and it is a freedom these bills will uphold. What we would not allow people to do is abuse that freedom.” Said Council Speaker Julie Menin
Under the proposal, the NYPD would determine when a buffer zone is necessary, its size, and its duration.
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“Individuals who impede access to a place of worship or interfere with religious services or otherwise commit crimes against individuals coming and going from a place of worship are subject to arrest.” Said Michael Gerber NYPD Deputy Commissioner.
“A buffer zone outside of worship will likewise very likely be unconstitutional, just like a buffer zone outside an abortion clinic is unconstitutional.” Eugene Volokh, a senior fellow at Stanford University who has taught constitutional law for more than three decades, says people have a First Amendment right to protest outside places of worship or schools, so long as they do not block entrances or commit crimes.
“People do not have a right to worship free of hostile speech on the sidewalk outside of worship, that’s true if it’s antisemitic, racist, if its anti-musli.m”
The NYPD supports the revised bills.
The council would need to approve the bills before they would be sent to Mayor Mamdani.
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