CAIR-NY Calls on New York City Council to Disband the NYPD SRG, Invest in Community Programs Instead
(NEW YORK, NY, 3/21/2024) - The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) presented testimony on Wednesday before the New York City Council urging it to disband the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group and instead invest in community programs that keep communities safe.
CAIR-NY's Supervising Attorney, Lamya Agarwala, Esq., testified that the NYPD's Strategic Response Group is responsible for numerous occasions of violence in the last few months alone. The SRG has reportedly been deployed to 205 peaceful protests since January, most of which were pro-Palestine protests.
SEE: VIDEO
In her testimony, CAIR-NY's Supervising Attorney Lamya Agarwala, Esq., said:
“It is not lost on us that in these last few months, protesters calling for a ceasefire and peace in Palestine have been labeled terrorists and brutalized by the NYPD because of their crucial activism holding our government accountable for its role in ongoing war crimes. The SRG clearly does not keep us safe. I urge the City Council to hold NYPD’s Strategic Response Group accountable for its abuse, disband the unit, and invest in community programs that actually keep us safe. CAIR-NY calls on the NY City Council to instead reinvest in our communities and help us to provide services that prioritize the true safety and well-being of New Yorkers.”
CAIR-NY's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT:
Afaf Nasher, Esq., CAIR-NY Executive Director, 917-669-4006, anasher@cair.com;
Rabea Ali, CAIR-NY Communications Coordinator, 347-651-0954, rali@cair.com;