BROCKPORT, N.Y. — A Back the Blue rally was held Saturday to protest a convicted cop-killer scheduled to speak at SUNY Brockport.
Anthony Bottom, also known as Jalil Muntaqim, had been scheduled to speak at the college on Wednesday. He was convicted of killing two New York City police officers in 1971.
Bottom was released in 2020 and is now on parole.
Several lawmakers, including New York Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, joined residents to speak in support of law enforcement. They spoke out against the college advertising the speaker as a political prisoner.
SUNY Brockport decided not to make the event paid, instead making it virtual.
The president of the university acknowledged the strong feedback and is urging students, faculty, and staff to engage in meaningful conversations about this situation.
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