NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — CUNY School of Law students turned their back on Mayor Eric Adams and booed him during his commencement speech at the college’s graduation ceremony on Friday.
The scene played out in the Colden Auditorium at Queens College the day after students and faculty protested against $155 million budget cuts to CUNY in Adams’ city budget proposal.
The crowd erupted in boos as the mayor described his time as a police officer.
“For 22 years of my life I wore a bulletproof vest and protected the children and families of this city,” said Adams as the audience started to jeer. “So I know what it takes to hold this city together.”
At one point, a member of the audience can be heard shouting Jordan, ostensibly a reference to Jordan Neely, the Black homeless man who died as he was held in a chokehold on a Manhattan F train last week.
Adams refused to call for the arrest of Daniel Penny, the 24-year-old Marine veteran who was filmed putting Neely in a chokehold. It took more than a week for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to file manslaughter charges against Penny.
CUNY School of Law has a reputation as a college for those interested in public service fields. Many of the school’s graduates go on to become public defenders.
Adams has pushed for budget cuts to public defenders, slashed budgets for social services and is a staunch opponent of the 2019 bail reform law.
“Mayor Adams respects the rights of the graduates who peacefully protested today just like he peacefully protested countless times throughout his career," a spokesperson for Adams told 1010 WINS. "As the mayor always says, this city may have 8.8 million people, but it also has 35 million opinions."
"We thank these graduates for going into the field of law and their willingness to serve their communities — helping those who are disadvantaged, crafting public policy and legislation, or serving in public office themselves," the spokesperson continued. "The mayor looks forward to seeing how these graduates serve our city in the future.”
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