June 25, 2026 — Today, the Safety Not Censorship Coalition, made up of 100+ organizations and unions, formally rejected the newest version of Intro 929, which despite welcomed modifications, still seeks to squash student speech and protest. This iteration does not include colleges, universities, museums, libraries, teaching hospitals, and community training centers, but still applies to the thousands and thousands of students attending public and private K-8 schools, as well as private high schools, in New York City. 

The Safety Not Censorship Coalition released the following statement:

“While the Safety Not Censorship Coalition beat back the worst of the City Council’s buffer zone bills,  the latest iteration of Intro. 929  still poses a real threat to student safety, and is built on the wrongful premise that students speaking up for change are a security threat. That could not be further from the truth.

“For months, we fought versions of this bill  — and won real concessions. But those fixes don’t change the fact that this is still entirely unnecessary and gives the NYPD free rein to create a plan that treats students like potential criminals. There is no reason for this: Speaker Menin herself cannot name a single instance of protestors targeting a school in a way that amounts to harassment or intimidation. In reality, putting herds of cops near students is reckless, dangerous, and fuels the school to prison pipeline. Just weeks ago, a widely circulated video showed officers arresting a student trying to reach his Regents exam along the Knicks parade route. 

“Lacking justification and facing widespread opposition from constituents across all five boroughs, Speaker Menin and City Council minimized opportunities for public input and forced the bill through. That’s not transparency — that’s government at its worst, serving its own interests. 

“Instead of bending over backwards to police our city’s youngest constituents, we urge the Council to reevaluate its priorities and spend that time defending student safety, adding resources for restorative justice, and removing deadly cops from schools. Students deserve to feel supported at school, not like criminals in their own classrooms.”