NYPD Commissioner pledges support to Jewish New Yorkers amid planned protests

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has pledged the police department’s support to Jewish New Yorkers ahead of planned anti-Israel demonstrations marking the third anniversary of the October 7 terror attacks. The pledge comes as student organizations prepare for a resistance rally outside City Hall to criticize Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newly established $26 million “Strategy to Combat Antisemitism.”

Pro-Palestinian activist group Within Our Lifetime has criticized the Mayor’s task force, claiming the funding will “provide funding for Zionist propagandist groups.” The group characterized the Mayor’s stance as “meaningless” and an act of “capitulation to Zionist pressure.”

In addition to the planned rallies, social media has promoted school walkouts at institutions including Columbia University, New York University, and Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton High School. Commissioner Tisch also addressed a 13% year-over-year increase in hate crimes in New York City, noting that Jewish residents account for 53% of reported targets. She stated that the NYPD’s hate crimes task force is aggressively investigating these incidents and deploying additional resources to protect Jewish communities.