
On January 16, 2025, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) New York chapter held a press conference introducing a lawsuit against the city of New York for police brutality during an October 2023 anti-Israel protest in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Nerdeen Kiswani of Within Our Lifetime, one of the organizers of the protest, said in the press conference that New York City Mayor Eric Adams is trying to chill the protesters’ right to free speech. The video was uploaded to CAIR NY Instagram account on February 1. For more about Nerdeen Kiswani and Within Our Lifetime, see MEMRTIV clips Nos. 11726, 11372, 11284, 11109, 10292, 10248, ,10190, 10091¸9937, 9738, 9471, 9014, 8932, 8113, 7628, 6311, 6100.
Nerdeen Kiswani: "Hello everybody. My name is Nerdeen Kiswani. I'm the founder and chair of Within Our Lifetime, and we are one of the organizers of this protest, among many other Palestine protests occurring in Bay Ridge and all over the city over the last 10 years.
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"We've been holding rallies in Bay Ridge and for Palestinian liberation for nearly a decade. But the Palestinian community, Palestinian family members who are reeling from watching their family members, their loved ones, being killed day in and day out and terrorizing Palestine have a right to come out and say enough is enough, that we will not be complicit in our government's aiding and abetting of war crimes in our nation.
"We should be allowed to be able to protest, to use our First Amendment right to freedom of speech to say that we want an end. And it's clear that the Eric Adams administration, which has close ties with the Israeli government and the Israeli military, wants to chill these rights by brutalizing these protesters.
"I would like to thank CAIR-NY, I would like to thank this law office, and all of the brave people who are bringing suit to say that they will stand up for their rights to be able to speak out for a free Palestine. Thank you."