Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears On CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront”

May 1, 2024

Erin Burnett: OutFront now, New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Mayor Adams, we're seeing these growing demonstrations in New York again today. And the images of police in riot gear at Fordham University is now across the airwaves. Students set up an encampment there inside the school on that sort of elevated grassy area. Large group of protesters cheering them on outside. Are we going to see what happened at Columbia last night happen at Fordham?

Mayor Eric Adams: We are in communication with the officials at the school, and when they make the determination they would like to have this issue resolved, we're going to cooperate with them 100 percent like we did at Columbia twice, and like we did at CUNY as well.

Burnett: We spoke to one Columbia graduate student, and mayor, she's not giving her full name, but she does speak on camera here. She said she was there last night at Hamilton Hall at Columbia when the NYPD moved in, and then she told us this.

[Video plays.]

Student: When NYPD came in, they pushed all press away from where we were so they couldn't document anything, and then they ambushed us, they tackled us, they beat us. We're not going to stop, and I think what the administration did last night was a huge mistake on them. This only added more fuel to the movement.

[Video ends.]

Burnett: Ambushed, tackled, and beat. Do you know anything about that?

Mayor Adams: We were very clear, and the Police Department was clear to video their actions inside, and the police used minimum amount of restraint to ensure that they were able to get the individuals out of the building that they criminally entered.

When you look at the analysis of national independent news outlets, they used the terms of how much restraint, how well this was handled, how organized this was handled. The Police Department did their job, thousands of people outside on the streets, and Erin at the same time, we were dealing with, at CUNY, a larger demonstration where bottles were thrown and items were thrown at police officers. Great deal of restraint we saw, and I agree with those national outlets that stated we showed that restraint.

Burnett: I had visited that encampment the day that Speaker Johnson was there, and obviously it was very peaceful at that point. Some of the concern at the time was that there may have been some people from outside the university outside the gates who may have been instigating violence, but it was very unclear what was happening.

You have talked, mayor, about the outside agitators at Columbia, people that you've referenced that you say have a known history of trying to create chaos and are not actually connected to Columbia University. At least at this point, I understand there were 300 people arrested last night. Do you have any ability at this point to tell us how many of those were outside agitators and how many of them were students at Columbia University?

Mayor Adams: I've always suspected that something was problematic when I first saw this, and it wasn't until the Intelligence Division gave me a briefing and confirmed my concerns. We had clear evidence of training that was conducted by an outside agitator that was not a student, did not belong on the campus. In addition to that, we saw participating and allowing people access to Hamilton Hall.

But we need to be clear on this. I received a letter from the school, and in the letter from the school that asked us to come in, they said there was a clear and present danger, and that they had outside individuals who were on the grounds participating in this activity. It was not only our observation from our Intelligence Division, but it was also the school officials who asked us to step in.

Burnett: Are we going to ever get a breakdown from the Mayor's Office, from the NYPD on the breakdown, though, of the 300 and how many were students and how many weren't?

Mayor Adams: Here's what we can do, we're allowed to do. We are going to give the complete list of those who were arrested and turn it over to the school, and the school will make the determination. We're not going to release students' names, but the school can make the determination of giving you a breakdown or turning publicly the difference between students and non-students. They will have that authorization to do so.

Burnett: Mayor Adams, I don't know if you heard the former President Trump earlier today. He was not in court because today they didn't have court. He was out on the campaign trail and he praised the NYPD. Here's what he said.

[Video plays.]

Former President Donald Trump: It was a beautiful thing to watch. New York's Finest… You saw them go up in ladders, breaking the windows and getting in. And that's dangerous because you don't know what's on the other side of that window. And they went and they knocked it out, and they were incredible. They did a great job. New York's Finest.

[Video ends.]

Burnett: I assume on this you agree with him.?

Mayor Adams: No, it's not the point of agreeing or disagreeing. I'm not going to politicize this moment. There's an election taking place. I'm going to stay focused on one thing, protecting New Yorkers. I did it for 22 years as a police officer and I'm going to do it as the mayor of the City of New York.

Burnett: All right, Mayor Adams, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

Mayor Adams: Thank you.

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