NYPD responds to AOC, says officers ‘must teach’ anti-Israel crowds ‘consequences of their actions’

Students who formed an encampment at Columbia University in New York, to protest Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, were met with the full force of New York police after the school moved course to allow law enforcement to enter campus. This decision sparked negative reactions from the Democratic representative. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and sparked a feud between lawmakers and police online.

“Good SAT scores and self-eligibility are not a substitute for the law,” New York Police Chief John Chell wrote in a tweet early Thursday morning.

“Columbia has decided to hold its students accountable for following school laws,” he added. “I’m sure you’ll agree that we need to teach them these valuable life skills.”

The comment came after Ocasio-Cortez complained Wednesday that Columbia had made the “horrible decision to mobilize the New York Police Department against its own students.”

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Students are protesting Israel’s war in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for additional comment, but a response was not immediately received.

On Thursday, the NYPD responded to AOC, applauding the school for holding its students “accountable” for the “consequences of their actions.”

“Truly amazing! Columbia has decided to hold its students accountable for following school laws. They see consequences for their actions. Something these kids probably never learned,” Chell wrote Thursday.

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He continued: “Secondly, I was last Thursday with these “units” that you describe as having “the most violent reputation.” These “units” expelled the students with great care and professionalism, no incidents were reported.”

And “the only incidents that day on campus were the student’s hateful anti-Semitic speeches and his vile language toward our cops.”

The police chief also urged the congresswoman to “rethink” her comments and thank the NYPD officers.

“I am sure you will agree that any hate speech is unacceptable. You should reconsider your comments as simply a thank you to the NYPD and hate has no place in our society,” he wrote, adding: “Lack of responsibility = consequences.”

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“Hate from anyone, anywhere has no place in our city and our country,” Chell concluded.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry also weighed in, noting the impact of the protests on other students at the school.

“Everyone has the constitutional right to demonstrate, it is one of the pillars on which our great democracy rests. But children also have the right to go to school without being harassed, threatened, intimidated or attacked” , Daughtry wrote.

The deputy commissioner added: “There is nothing ‘horrible’ about protecting the safety of young Columbia students who are simply trying to go to school. We have said time and time again, the NYPD will always protect and defend your right to protest. but just because you hold up a sign while threatening, harassing, intimidating and assaulting people does not mean you are free from criminal conduct. »

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“Being anti-Semitic and spewing hatred towards children will never be tolerated in our city. Our officers are the best and most well-trained law enforcement professionals in the world. Every day they face insults, threats and hate speech simply because of the uniform they wear to try to keep the peace and protect everyone’s rights,” his tweet continued.

The NYPD deputy commissioner also encouraged Ocasio-Cortez to travel to Columbia and walk across campus to attend the protest.

“I promise that our officers will, as always, do their job and protect you as they have protected everyone on campus, regardless of your political beliefs. We will also report if you feel threatened,” he said. he concluded.

On Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez, who has publicly expressed support for the protests — which she called “peaceful” — criticized the school’s decision to call in law enforcement to help restore order on the campus.

“Not only did Columbia make the terrible decision to mobilize the NYPD against its own students, but the units called in also have a reputation for some of the most violent policing,” she tweeted. “The NYPD had promised the city that it would not deploy the SRG (Strategic Response Group) to the protests.”

Columbia continued to negotiate with students to evacuate the encampment after more than 100 students were arrested, but the numerous unsuccessful attempts were mostly unsuccessful.

Columbia University avoided another confrontation between students and police earlier Wednesday as the school extended negotiations to reach an agreement on clearing an encampment until a midnight deadline set Tuesday by the president of the university, Minouche Shafik. The school extended negotiations for another 48 hours.

Police said 133 protesters were arrested this week at New York University.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Original article source: NYPD Responds to AOC, Says Officers ‘Must Teach’ Anti-Israel Crowds About ‘Consequences of Their Actions’