According to NBC News, Nassau County Mayor Bruce Blakeman signed a bill on Wednesday banning the wearing of masks in public places.
The new law includes exemptions for religious and health reasons and aims to target those who commit crimes while wearing a face covering. According to Violators could face up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine, according to NBC News.
Blakeman said at a press conference that the ban would “protect the public,” referencing the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, where protesters allegedly engaged in “anti-Semitic and violent acts” while wearing masks, according to NBC News. Nassau County Councilman Howard Kopel said in early August that the bill was introduced because of “anti-Semitic incidents that are often instigated by mask wearers.” (Related article: Columbia University moves classes online after pro-Palestinian protesters take over campus)
Nassau County Located It is located east of New York City and includes part of Long Island.
Nassau County bans wearing masks in publichttps://t.co/mluqPjOcBu
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The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) criticized the mask ban in a statement on Wednesday, calling the exceptions “insufficient.”
“Once again, masks protect people who express controversial political opinions,” Susan Gottehrer, NYCLU Regional Director for Nassau County, said in a statement. “Officials should support New Yorkers’ right to express their opinions, not encourage leaking personal information or threatening arrest. Masks also protect people’s health, especially at a time when COVID infection rates are rising, and allow high-risk individuals to participate in public life. We should support people to make the right choices for themselves and their loved ones, and not allow the government to ostracize vulnerable people from society.”
Nassau County Democratic Minority Leader Delia DeRighi Whitton said the law was “destined to be struck down in court and would further tarnish Blakeman’s already losing legal record,” NBC News reported.
“It is deeply disappointing that Blakeman and his Republican colleagues chose to ignore the opportunity for bipartisan compromise and even consider the Democrats’ bill, which would uphold the rule of law, provide a fairer approach for residents, and impose tougher penalties for actual violators,” she said.
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