“This is disgusting.” Ted Cruz blasts snowball attack on NYPD — and NYC’s mayor is dragged into it

A winter storm turned Washington Square Park into a snow-day hangout — and then a viral mess.

Video posted by independent scene account @BGOnTheScene shows NYPD officers getting pelted with snowballs while working in the park. The clip lit up X fast, with critics calling it an “attack” on police and demanding arrests, while others argued it was reckless-but-petty chaos that escalated because nobody wanted to be the adult in the room.

What happened in the park — and why it blew up

According to CBS New York, the scene unfolded after heavy snow, with crowds gathering at Washington Square Park and snowballs being thrown — including at police. The officers in the video appear to be taking repeated hits while trying to manage the crowd. Police and union voices framed it as people targeting law enforcement, not a harmless snowball fight.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams weighed in, calling the behavior “disgusting” and urging elected officials to speak out against attacks on officers.

Sen. Ted Cruz piled on afterward, calling the situation “disgusting” and taking a swipe at NYC leadership — a move that helped turn a local incident into national political content.

Why people are reacting so hard

A few things can be true at the same time:

• It looks bad on camera. Officers in uniform getting pelted while trying to do their jobs hits a nerve, especially when it looks like the crowd feels untouchable.
• NYC policing is already a flashpoint. The city’s been a nonstop argument about crime, enforcement, protests, quality-of-life issues, and how police handle crowds. That tension makes any viral clip feel like “proof” to both sides.
• The “tone from the top” fight never stops. Adams’ allies argue anti-cop rhetoric normalizes disrespect; critics argue leadership and NYPD policies create the resentment in the first place. Either way, the clip became a stand-in for bigger anger.

Should NYPD officers be able to “retaliate”?

Not “retaliate” — respond, and only within policy and the law.

In general, police use-of-force rules are built around necessity and proportionality: officers can use reasonable force to stop an assault, protect themselves or others, or make an arrest — but they can’t punish people for being disrespectful. In a packed crowd, swinging batons or going hands-on over snowballs can quickly spiral into serious injuries, lawsuits, and political fallout. That’s why you often see officers holding position, calling for backup, isolating offenders, and making arrests once it’s safer. (If NYPD believes specific people assaulted officers, that’s usually handled through arrests and charges, not on-the-spot payback.)

“Why isn’t the mayor stopping this?”

Mayors don’t personally “stop” moments like this in real time — but they do shape what happens next:

• directing NYPD’s crowd-control posture (aggressive vs. restrained),
• supporting arrests and prosecution (or not),
• and setting the public message (“this was unacceptable” vs. minimizing it).

Adams’ post tried to do exactly that — condemn it loudly and pressure other officials to follow.