Jalil Muntaqim, convicted of killing two officers, will speak at Brockport tonight

UPDATE: SUNY Brockport’s President said in a letter to students today that "out of an abundance of caution, all in-person instruction and co-curricular activities will conclude today, April 6 at 4:50 p.m. Classes that are in progress at that time will end early. In-person classes that begin after 4:50 pm are canceled. This action is taken to help reduce pedestrian and vehicular traffic in advance of the speech and potential protests."

ROCHESTER N.Y. (WHEC) — Jalil Muntaqim, who is convicted of killing two New York City police officers, will speak at SUNY Brockport at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The event is virtual and it’s not open to the public.

We can expect today’s event to look very different than when it was first announced.

A lot of logistics have changed. For example, it was originally supposed to be in-person, now it will be online because of safety concerns on-campus. Also, Jalil Muntaqim was originally going to be paid for speaking. Now he will not.

As we’ve reported, Muntaqim – who used to be known as Anthony Bottom – spent nearly half a century in prison for killing two NYPD officers back in 1971 and now he lives in the Rochester area.

He was a member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. Today will not be his first time speaking at a local college. He gave a virtual talk at the University of Rochester back in February 2021, which didn’t draw much public attention.

"The only reason it’s virtual is because they don’t want the cops on campus because that might offend, or trigger some of their students," said New York State Senator Rob Orrt (R).

Davina Jenkins, a junior at SUNY Brockport said:

"I’m ok with it. I just wish they didn’t move it online due to the controversy of the Blue Lives Matter supporters in Brockport."

Brockport did not get specific about the safety concerns but the college’s president issued a statement saying: "respectful debate, critical thinking, and peaceful protest are encouraged. Violence, racism, hate, and censorship have no place in our community."