ALBANY, NY — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday that she is considering a ban on face masks on the New York City subway system because of concerns about people protecting their identities while committing antisemitic acts.
Hochul, a Democrat, told reporters the exact details of the policy were unclear, but that it would contain “common sense exceptions” for health, cultural or religious reasons. .
Hochul said he is in talks with lawmakers about the possibility of creating a bill.
At a news conference in Albany, the governor said he wanted to take action after “a masked group took over a train car, terrorizing the riders and chanting about Hitler and killing the Jews” on Monday night.
It’s unclear exactly what incident he’s referring to, but it could be various episodes related to the pro-Palestinian demonstration that day in Union Square Park.
Hundreds of people leaving the rally flooded into the train station, some waving flags and beating drums, to catch a train to the city centre. On one train, an unmasked man led a small group saying “Raise your hands if you’re a Zionist” to other passengers, then, “This is your chance to get out.”
While a video circulating on social media showed the confrontation allegedly taking place earlier, a man in Union Square – who was also not wearing a mask – was recorded shouting, “I wish Hitler was still here. He would have destroyed you all.”
It was unclear whether he was participating in the protest or who he was shouting at. A group of people waving Israeli flags were also in the park at the time.
“We will not tolerate individuals who use masks to avoid responsibility for criminal or threatening actions,” said Hochul.
New York passed a law banning face masks in public in the 1800s in response to protests over rent. It was postponed to 2020 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo is part of the pandemic public health campaign, and masks are also required for train riders until September 2022.
The mask ban has previously drawn criticism from civil rights groups who say it is being enforced selectively to eliminate protests where people want to hide their identities to avoid legal or professional repercussions.
“The Governor’s concerns about masks disguising criminal activity will not be alleviated by banning anonymous peaceful protests. The mask ban was originally developed to discourage political protests and, like other laws that criminalize people, will be enforced selectively – used to arrest, carry out, monitor, and silencing people of color and police protestors disagree,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director. of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement.
“The ban on masks will be easily violated by bad actors and, if someone commits an illegal act, punishment should be made based on the criminal’s behavior, not their clothing,” he said.
Hochul acknowledged that reversing the ban would be complicated.
“We know how complex this problem is, and we just listen to people and address their needs and take them very seriously,” she said.
Since the war between Hamas and Israel began in October, there have been hundreds of demonstrations by pro-Palestinian activists in the city, many of them peaceful. Wearing masks by participants is common, partly due to fear of police surveillance.
Mayor Eric Adams has also talked about reviving some past versions of the mask ban and has suggested that store clerks tell people they need to take them off to enter.
The use of face coverings in public has decreased since the death toll from COVID-19 decreased, but many still use them.
“There are people who are at risk of severe illness from respiratory infections who can use masks in crowded places such as trains to reduce the chance of infection,” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center. for Health Security, said via email.
