New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) on Monday was asked what is the line between free speech and hate speech during protests at Columbia University over the Israel-Hamas war.
“I've seen video of somebody at the Gaza encampment at Columbia standing up and talking about how great the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel was and calling the Hamas terrorists, calling them ‘freedom fighters.’ Is that hate speech or is that protected free speech? Where do you come down on that?” CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked Adams during an interview.
“Believe it or not, as vile as it could be — because Hamas should be destroyed from the actions they did on October 7th and other actions — but that does not fall into a crime,” Adams said. “If someone makes a comment that they want to join a terrorist organization, that's going to come under investigation.”
The tensions around on-campus protests and encampments by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including at Columbia and Yale University, have recently reached fever pitch — even prompting classes at Columbia to go virtual Monday. Several New York lawmakers also visited the Manhattan campus in solidarity with Jewish students who have felt threatened or intimidated at school.
No violence has been reported related to the encampment, and police officers are stationed outside the campus gates as pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protesters face off. Police officers were called onto the campus to clear out a previous encampment last week. Adams said he would order the NYPD onto the private campus grounds if there was an “imminent threat or danger to someone.”
