NYPD Chief Hits Back at AOC’s Columbia Claims

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The New York City Police Department chief of patrol on Thursday pushed back at an online scolding from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., after officers from an anti-terrorism squad showed up outside an encampment of demonstrators at Columbia University.

Protesters’ tents popped up April 17, the day Columbia’s President Minouche Shafik was grilled about on-campus antisemitism by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

But the demonstrations have since grown and sparked similar actions at universities around the country.

“Truly amazing! Columbia decided to hold its students accountable to the laws of the school,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“They are seeing the consequences of their actions. Something these kids were most likely never taught. Good SAT scores and self-entitlement do not supersede the law. I am sure you would agree that we have to teach them these valuable life skills.”

Ocasio-Cortez had posted video of the officers lined up, and questioned the response.

“Not only did Columbia make the horrific decision to mobilize NYPD on their own students, but the units called in have some of the most violent reputations on the force,” she said.

“NYPD had promised the city they wouldn’t deploy SRG to protests,” she said, referring to NYPD’s Strategic Response Group. “So why are these counterterror units here?”

Chell slammed back: “I was with those ‘units’ last Thursday that you describe as having, ‘the most violent reputations.’ These ‘units’ removed students with great care and professionalism, not a single incident was reported.”

He said the only incidents that day on campus “were the student’s hateful antisemitic speech and vile language towards our cops.”

“I am sure you agree any hateful speech is unacceptable,” he wrote, adding: “You should rethink your comments to a simple thank you to the NYPD and hate has no place in our society.”

“Maybe you should walk around Columbia and NYU and listen to their remarks of pure hatred. I will ensure those ‘units’ will protect you as they do for all NYers 24/7/365,” Chell wrote.

The video attached on Ocasio-Cortez’s post was posted early Thursday, and showed officers standing outside the university, near the site of camped-out protesters.

“Everyone has a Constitutional right to protest, it’s one of the pillars our great democracy is built on,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry later wrote on X.

“But kids also have a right to go to school without being harassed, threatened, intimidated or assaulted. There is nothing ‘horrific’ about protecting the safety of Columbia’s young students who are just trying to go to school.”

Protests of Israel’s war in Gaza have spread around the country, as police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California, and new encampments sprouted up at Harvard and other colleges.