A senior New York City Police Department (NYPD) leader defended the department’s decision to aggressively clear pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and other colleges Tuesday, saying police “set the tone for the city” against protests he described as “lawless” and run by “spoiled kids.”
“What we’re doing is we’re holding these students accountable,” he said. “These are some spoiled kids who think they can do what they want. No accountability, no consequences, backed up by teachers who are on the same page with them.”
“And let me be clear here: We support their right to protest. It’s a good thing, we do it properly,” he said. “But, you know, under this mayor, our commissioner, the lawless part of it, to the extent that we are not going to put up with it, and we’re going to act fast when we see it. And I think we are doing that, and we’re changing the narrative in the city.”