S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD Protest Surveillance & Arrests

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For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD Protest Surveillance & Arrests (New York, NY 4/23/24) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, condemns NYPD’s widespread drone surveillance and mass arrests at student pro-Palestine protests at NYU and Columbia University. The NYPD has arrested over 250 faculty, students and staff at NYU and Columbia at the universities’ request. The civil rights group renewed its call on the New York State legislature to pass the Protect Our Privacy “POP” Act banning police use of drones except in search and rescue operations. SEE: Gothamist - Dozens of arrests made at NYU as cops clear protesters’ encampment https://gothamist.com/news/protesters-set-up-tents-at-nyu-echoing-demonstrations-at-columbia-over-israel-hamas-war The Washington Post - More than 100 arrested at Columbia as police clear pro-Palestinian protest https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/04/18/columbia-student-gaza-protests-nypd/ Spectrum News NY1 - More than 150 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at NYU campus https://ny1.com/nyc/manhattan/news/2024/04/22/protesters-set-up-encampment-at-nyu-campus “The NYPD’s attack on student protest is unconscionable,” said the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. “These efforts to silence students not only raise grave constitutional concerns, they undermine public safety. When students engaged in nonviolent protest in designated protest zones face mass arrests, it delegitimizes peaceful dissent and empowers those seeking to exploit this moment to engage in violence.” SEE: S.T.O.P. Blog - NYC is Becoming a Drone Dystopia https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2024/4/9/nyc-is-becoming-a-drone-dystopia The New York State Senate - Senate Bill S4162 https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S4162 Last fall, S.T.O.P. condemned NYPD’s deployment of drones to monitor backyard J’ouvert parties. In 2020, the civil rights group condemned reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted more than 270 hours of aerial surveillance of Black Lives Matter protests against police violence. SEE: AP News - New York police will use drones to monitor backyard parties this weekend, spurring privacy concerns https://apnews.com/article/drones-labor-day-eric-adams-nypd-jouvert-c2787e87bcad8fa87aa8d34b454ee6cf Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns DHS Air Surveillance Of BLM Protests https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2020/6/19/stop-condemns-dhs-air-surveillance-of-blm-protests The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. --END-- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved.