OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:08 PM – Tuesday, August 6, 2024
A New York county has passed a controversial bill banning masks in public. The law makes wearing a mask a misdemeanor, which could carry a fine of up to $1,000 or even result in a one-year jail sentence.
The “Mask Transparency Act” passed in Nassau County with 12 Republicans in favor and 7 Democrats abstaining.
The law increases penalties received for committing a crime while wearing a mask.
The origin of the bill followed a series of anti-Semitic attacks which were reportedly carried out by masked assailants. Additionally, police officers say that the majority of pro-Palestine protesters have been seen rioting while wearing masks in order to hide their identity.
The bill states that masks and facial coverings, which are not being used for health or religious reasons, are “often used as a predicate to harassing, menacing or criminal behavior.”
Residents in the country who are wearing face coverings or masks for health or religious-related reasons will not be punished by the new law.
Recent video footage shows local Nassau County police dragging masked activists and rioters out of the county legislature building, with one activist being arrested in the altercation after resisting.
“Unless someone has a medical condition or a religious imperative, people should not be allowed to cover their face in a manner that hides their identity when in public,” said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakement.
Meanwhile, critics of the bill cited their concerns over police being allowed to stop and question anyone wearing a mask, and infringing on first amendment right protections.
“Masks protect people who express political opinions that are unpopular,” said Susan Gottehrer, Nassau County’s regional director. “Making anonymous protest illegal chills political action and is ripe for selective enforcement, leading to doxxing, surveillance, and retaliation against protesters.”
In addition, a number of civil rights activist organizations have now come out with statements criticizing the law.
The New York Civil Liberties Union made a statement on X (Twitter), condemning the ban as a “dangerous misuse of the law.”
The American Civil Liberties Union stated that while masks “can be abused,” it “does not justify taking that freedom away from those protesting peacefully, especially in today’s surveillance environment.”
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