New York City major Eric Adams said it was “despicable” that U.S. schools would allow another country’s flag to fly on their campuses while defending the New York Police Department (NYPD) after hundreds of officers in riot gear broke up pro-Palestinian protests on Columbia University’s campus.
At a press conference Wednesday after New York police arrested about 300 people overnight, Adams became heated after police showed a number of videos that included protests at Columbia, as well as a protest at City College in New York, where demonstrators took down an American flag.
“Another significant part of the video was at the end,” Adams said. “That’s our flag, folks. You don’t take over our buildings and put another flag up. That may be fine to other people but, it’s not to me.”
Adams appeared to be conflating the two incidents at the two city schools, which have both been the site of pro-Palestinian protests.
Students at Columbia took over Hamilton Hall and flew a Palestinian flag outside a window of the building. The takeover prompted the New York police operation on Tuesday night.
“My uncle died defending this country and these men and women put their lives on the line, and it’s despicable that schools would allow another country’s flag to fly in our country,” Adams said. “So, blame me for being proud to be an American.”
“We are not surrendering our way of life to anyone,” he said.