Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed a bill into law on Wednesday that bans individuals from wearing face masks in public, NBC News reported.
The new law includes an exception for religious and health purposes and is meant to focus on those who commit crimes while wearing a face covering, according to NBC News. Violators can face a misdemeanor with up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Blakeman said during the press conference that the ban “protects the public” and referenced pro-Palestinian protests that occurred at Columbia University, where protesters allegedly engaged in “antisemitic and violent acts” while wearing masks, according to NBC News. Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel said earlier in August that the bill was introduced due to “antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks.” (RELATED: Columbia University Shifts Classes Online After Pro-Palestinian Protest Takes Over Campus)
Nassau County is located east of New York City and includes parts of Long Island.
Nassau County Bans Mask Wearing In Public Spaceshttps://t.co/mluqPjOcBu
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New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) criticized the mask ban in a Wednesday statement, claiming the exemptions are “inadequate.”
“We’ll say it again: masks protect people who express political opinions that are controversial,” Nassau County NYCLU Regional Director Susan Gottehrer said in a statement. “Officials should be supporting New Yorkers’ right to voice their views, not fueling widespread doxxing and threatening arrests. Masks also protect people’s health, especially at a time of rising COVID rates, and make it possible for people with elevated risk to participate in public life. We should be helping people make the right choice for themselves and their loved ones — not letting the government exile vulnerable people from society.”
Nassau County Democratic Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said that the law “is destined to be struck down in court, further tarnishing Blakeman’s already losing record of lawsuits,” NBC News reported.
“It’s deeply disappointing that Blakeman and his Republican colleagues chose to ignore any opportunity for bipartisan compromise or even consider the Democratic bill — a bill that upholds the rule of law, offers a fairer approach for residents, and imposes firmer penalties on actual offenders,” she said.
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