NYU reinstates Oct. 7 Federalist Society event after backlash

New York University has reinstated an event scheduled for Tuesday, the second anniversary of the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, after facing backlash for canceling the talk.

NYU’s law school canceled the event, featuring speakers from the conservative Federalist Society, last week, citing “security concerns” related to expected protests.

The cancellation, first reported by the Washington Free Beacon, drew criticism, including from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a prominent free speech group.

FIRE condemned the cancellation as “a textbook heckler’s veto.”

The Federalist Society says the event is back on schedule.

The live-streamed talk will focus on campus free speech, campus antisemitism, and the significance of the October 7 anniversary to Jews, the Federalist Society says.

VENUE UPDATE: NYU has now agreed to host the NYU FedSoc student event featuring @ishapiro on campus on October 7th. The event will focus on campus free speech. It will still be livestreamed.

Find the full details of the event below.

Following the October 7th attack in Israel… pic.twitter.com/JhRakN51ar

— Federalist Society (@FedSoc) October 4, 2025

Anti-Israel groups in New York City have announced widespread protests on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the Hamas attack.