Boulder antisemitic terror attack spurs response from major cities: ‘We will not rest'

Fox News

2 days ago

New York City Mayor Eric Adams led urban responses to the antisemitic terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend, with his office telling Fox News Digital the city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel is taking steps to protect its own holy sites and neighborhoods.
"Another act of horrific, vile antisemitism and terrorism in our country, as an individual violently attacked a peaceful crowd in Boulder, Colorado, gathered to call for the release of the hostages still held in Gaza since Hamas' terror attacks on October 7, 2023," Adams said.
"Out of abundance of caution, the NYPD is increasing resources at religious sites throughout our city ahead of the sacred holiday of Shavuot. We will not rest until we root out this unacceptable violence and rhetoric from our communities."
When reached for comment on how the city's posture against antisemitic protests may change after the attack, an official told Fox News Digital that Adams has and will continue to protect New York's Jewish population.
Adams set up an Office to Combat Antisemitism – making the Big Apple the first major city to do so.
"This office will be a sledgehammer in this fight, taking on lawsuits and working tirelessly to root out antisemitism from our city," the official said.
After the deadly attack on Jews in Washington, D.C., Adams called out "antisemitic propaganda masquerading as activism." He ordered the NYPD to deploy additional resources following that attack as well.
In the District of Columbia, Mayor Muriel Bowser's office struck a similar tone when asked how that city's threat posture may change. Bowser's office directed Fox News Digital to prior remarks made after the Jewish Museum attack.
"It is not up to the Jewish community to say support us, it is up to all of us to denounce antisemitism in all forms," Bowser said in part.
On the other side of the country, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the Boulder attack "an atrocious affront to the very fabric of our society and our beliefs here in Los Angeles."
Bass said she will be calling an emergency meeting at city hall focused on safety and security for the Shavuot holiday and the days after.
In Miami Beach, which is home to an estimated 16,000 people of the Jewish faith among its 79,000 residents, Police Officer Christopher Bess told Fox News Digital there has been a focus on protecting residents ever since a March 2024 anti-Israel protest led city council to unanimously pass legislation prohibiting protesters from obstructing streets.
Mayor Steven Meiner, who is Jewish, spearheaded that new law, and Bess said the police too have established an "extremely robust operational plan, as it relates to demonstrations – whether they're pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian."
"What we do is come up with the operational plans, and we increase and augment operational needs as necessary – and we have a specialized unit, the Rapid Intervention Team, that is specialized in [responding to] civil disturbances and protests."
Instead of a macro approach, Miami Beach Police attack problem spots from a "methodical and strategic law enforcement avenue."
Many such protests have been "uneventful" since then, Bess said, adding that the department tries to work with event organizers and the city's legal apparatus to respond in the most professional way they can.
"If we see anyone that is escalating the situation, we take swift law enforcement action to make sure that one individual doesn't compromise the entire operation."
"We do respect First Amendment rights; the right to peaceful assembly – emphasizing peaceful – and if someone deviates from that they will go to jail."
After each protest that requires law enforcement response or preparation, there is debriefing to see what can be done better next time, Bess said.
"After any incident around the country [including Boulder]," he said, "Intel detectives stay in touch with federal, state and local partners – and based on their intelligence, we're able to implement any plan that best fits our city."
After the Washington attack, police increased patrols at religious facilities – with Bess citing the large Jewish population in Mid Beach – engaged in partnerships with rabbis and increased foot patrols there.
"That should send a loud message that… we will not tolerate that [violence]."
Bess added that the Miami Beach Police have employed drones as "eyes in the sky" because human officers cannot be everywhere at once. The city is considered very safe for its boisterous reputation, and Bess added that drones help with issues like antisemitic protests, as well as in response to simpler incidents on the city's famed Ocean Drive.