Student leaders and progressive activists rallied outside City Hall on Wednesday demanding that the city curtail a heavy presence of NYPD school safety agents in public schools and instead investing in more student-affirming services.

Advocates from Make The Road New York, the Urban Youth Collaborative (UYC) and other community groups spoke out about their own experiences with heavily-policed public schools, while also urging Mayor Eric Adams to halt additional funding for in-school police and direct it to increase services like school guidance counselors, mental health advocates and social workers.