NYC Mayor Eric Adams booed and turned away by college students during commencement speech.

Graduates Turn Their Backs on NYC Mayor Eric Adams During Commencement Speech

It was a tense moment at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law graduation ceremony as students turned their backs and yelled at New York City Mayor Eric Adams during his 2023 commencement address. The heckling followed a protest over proposed budget cuts to the school by Adams and criticisms over his response to the death of Jordan Neely.

Protest Against Adams’ Terror Against Black & Brown Communities

Students interrupted, yelled, and booed during Adams’ remarks, which occurred during a Friday graduation ceremony at the Colden Auditorium of Queens College. One student shouted the name “Jordan” during the ceremony, a likely reference to Neely, who died after being placed in a chokehold on a subway train. Neely was restrained after witnesses say he embarked on an aggressive rant and began screaming that he did not care if he went to jail.

Adams said that it was irresponsible to classify what happened as “murder” until more investigation had followed. “I don’t think that’s very responsible at the time where we are still investigating the situation. Let’s let the DA conduct his investigation with the law enforcement officials. To really interfere with that is not the right thing to do and I’m going to be responsible and allow them to do their job and allow them to determine exactly what happened here,” he said.

CUNY Law School May Lose $150 Million in City Funding

His speech followed news that CUNY might lose around $150 million in city funding, according to Comptroller Brad Lander, who said that the cuts would have a deleterious effect on the school. “That means a CUNY that cannot show up for its students,” he said.

Other attendees in the crowd appeared to have a more positive response to Adams’ words, at times clapping and cheering. “These are exciting times, and we know we can move this city forward as we did with the issues around immigration, issues around public safety, issues around how we build a better city for all,” Adams said, as students continued to yell.

Former Cop Faces Criticism Over Commencement Appearances

It is not the first time that Adams, a former cop, has faced criticism over his commencement appearances. Last year, students attempted to ban Adams from speaking at Pace University, to no avail.

Takeaway

The incident at CUNY Law School highlights the ongoing tensions between law enforcement and communities of color, as well as the impact of budget cuts on public education. It also raises questions about the role of public officials in addressing these issues and the responsibility of law enforcement in cases of police brutality.

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