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Will we see Zohran Mamdani's first veto this weekend?
That's the question on the minds of free speech advocates, student activists, religious leaders, and unions this morning, as the Saturday deadline looms for the mayor to veto a pair of bills passed by the City Council last month that would require the NYPD to plan for so-called buffer zones during protests at religious and educational institutions.
Pushed by Council Speaker Julie Menin in the wake of protests targeting events held at synagogues promoting the illegal sale of land in the occupied West Bank—including one where pro-Palestinian activists chanted "we support Hamas here" and supporters of Israel responded by chanting "death to Palestine" and "we love ICE"—the bill for religious institutions passed with a veto-proof majority of the council. The schools-related bill passed by a slimmer margin, however, raising the prospect of a successful mayoral veto—if Mamdani chooses to act.