The New York City Council advanced two bills to establish protest buffer zones around schools and houses of worship, aiming to guide police in balancing safety with free speech.

The bills would require the NYPD to publish protest-management plans near schools and sacred sites, expand emergency-planning support for religious and nonprofit institutions, mandate social media safety education, and set up a hotline to track discriminatory incidents.

The Police Commissioner would be tasked with developing plans to address risks of obstruction, injury, intimidation, and interference at places of worship and educational institutions, while preserving rights to free speech and assembly.

Mayor Mamdani has not committed to signing or vetoing the bills and says he will weigh concerns about potential constitutional rights limits, stressing safety alongside free speech.

The package passed by a wide margin, with CAM praising the council and urging further protections, including the possibility of a 100-foot buffer in some contexts.

Early drafts that proposed buffer zones around sensitive sites were pared back after experts warned they could conflict with Supreme Court free-speech precedents.

The push follows a November protest outside Park East Synagogue near a Nefesh B’Nefesh event, which drew attention from Jewish leaders over safety and rhetoric.

The bills require the Police Commissioner to submit the proposed plans within a defined timeframe after passage, and the mayor has 30 days to decide on signing, vetoing, or letting them become law without his signature.

One measure establishing buffer zones passed, but without a clear majority, leaving open the possibility of a mayoral veto.

CAM leaders urged ongoing protections for religious communities, emphasizing the need to balance public safety with constitutional rights.

Opposition argues the bills could curtail free speech by enabling no-speech zones and widening police powers over protest activity.

City Hall officials say the bills are being reviewed with attention to protecting both the right to prayer and the right to protest.