India, April 25 -- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to veto a contentious bill proposing protest-free "buffer zones" outside schools, triggering a debate over public safety and free speech rights. The legislation, known as Int. 175-B, aimed to create designated no-protest areas around schools to ensure students could enter and exit safely without facing obstruction or intimidation.

The bill, introduced by Council member Eric Dinowitz, passed the City Council with a 30-19 vote, just short of the threshold required to override a mayoral veto.

Reports by the New York Post and The New York Times indicate Mamdani is expected to formally block the measure, which would mark the first veto of his tenure.

At the heart of Mamdani's obje...