New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends a memorial for the 30th anniversary of the killing of a Jewish teenager on the Brooklyn Bridge on March 1, 2024. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The mayor’s statement came hours before Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik, who was hauled before Congress to address the school’s inaction on antisemitism, broke her silence overnight. Shafik canceled classes on Monday, calling for a "reset" as "tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas."
Instead of bringing in police to disperse the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" that has persisted for days on the South Lawn, Shafik promised a "working group of Deans, university administrators and faculty members will try to bring this crisis to a resolution" in the coming days, including through "continuing discussions with the student protestors and identifying actions we can take as a community to enable us to peacefully complete the term and return to respectful engagement with each other."
Columbia University President Nemat "Minouche" Shafik testifies before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on April 17, 2024. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Adams on Sunday also urged Columbia’s senior administration officials "to improve and maintain an open line of communication with the NYPD to ensure the safety of all students and staff on campus, as well as for the safety of all New Yorkers." The mayor acknowledged how "the conflict in the Middle East has left many of us grieving and angry," and while New Yorkers "have every right to express their sorrow," but that "heartbreak does not give anyone the right to harass or threaten others or to physically harm someone they disagree with."
"As mayor of the city with the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel, the pain these protests are causing Jews across the globe is not lost on me, especially as we start Passover tomorrow evening. I also see and hear the pain of those protesting in support of innocent lives being lost in Gaza," Adams said. "In this moment of heightened tension around the world, we stand united against hate."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., led the charge on Sunday in demanding Shafik’s resignation over university leadership having "clearly lost control of its campus."
Shafik allowed the NYPD to come onto campus and arrest more than 100 people on Thursday, the day after her congressional testimony, but they have since been released from custody and the protest escalated.
Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
Subscribed
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nyc-mayor-hammers-professional-columbia-anti-israel-agitators-says-nypd-ready-move-in