Take it off (if you’re not sick)!
Mayor Eric Adams is urging city and state officials to reintroduce a mask ban at protests — something that had ended during the COVID-19 pandemic — a source close to the mayor’s administration told amNewYork Metro on Thursday.
Adams’ effort comes as pro-Palestine protests continue to erupt throughout the city, with many demonstrators donning full face masks and headwear and some committing acts of violence, vandalism, aggression, bias and hate.
The source told amNewYork Metro that Mayor Adams is working with law enforcement and officials in Albany to answer many open-ended questions about banning masks at protests while still trying to respect health risks and constitutional rights.
“We are actively reaching out to parties in the city and the state to say, ‘What is the legal path moving forward to ban masks once again at protests?’” the source said.
Masks in the city
Mask mandates were abundant throughout the city four years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic starting in March 2020. The situation essentially ended a nearly 200-year-old state law which barred demonstrators from wearing masks and face coverings at protests and similar settings.
Throughout the pandemic, people were largely required to wear masks over the nose and mouth everywhere they went to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Mask mandates came to an end in the months after viable vaccines and medical treatments for COVID-19 emerged in 2021-22.
Today, people can still choose to wear a face mask, especially if they think they are infected with COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance this year notes that wearing a snug-fitting N95 mask over the nose and mouth of an infected person reduces the risk of transmitting COVID.
But, according to city officials, some offenders are taking advantage of that choice while harming others in ways that go beyond a virus.
“We feel strongly that people are hiding behind masks now and covering themselves so they can act in an illegal manner, hiding their faces so they can get away with more,” the source told amNewYork Metro, adding that this practice has infringed on many police investigations.
Examples of mask misuse
Police surveillance video and photos that could have been helpful in solving a crime are useless if a suspect is seen wearing a ski mask or large face covering.
A recent example is the anti-Israel protestors who flooded a NYC subway car on Monday, many of them wearing face masks covering almost all of their facial features – including their hair, which is often an important part of identifying a suspect.
Video of the incident that went viral across media platforms shows a masked agitator yelling across a moving subway train, “Raise your hand if you’re a zionist. This is your chance to get out. Ok no Zionists, we’re good.”
Kayla Mamelak, deputy press secretary and communications officer for the mayor, described the incident as “vile.” She added that NYPD detectives are investigating despite the mask hurdle.
“Mayor Adams has been clear. New York City will always protect the right to free speech, but we will never allow our city to descend into lawlessness,” Mamelak said. “Threatening New Yorkers based on their beliefs is not only vile, it’s illegal and will not be tolerated. Anyone with information about those responsible for this illegal conduct should contact the NYPD immediately.”
Masked perpetrators were also caught on video vandalizing the homes of Brooklyn Museum officials on the Upper East Side and in Brooklyn Heights this week. Other suspects vandalized several consulates in Manhattan.
Gov. Kathy Hochul appeared supportive of bringing back a mask ban while speaking at an unrelated news conference on Thursday.
“We will not tolerate individuals using masks to evade responsibility for criminal or threatening behavior,” she said. My team is working on a solution, but on a subway, people should not be able to hide behind a mask to commit crimes.”
Anti-Jewish offenses in May increased 150% (55 vs 22) from the same month last year, according to the latest crime report. In fact, antisemitic crimes led the overall rise of bias incidents investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force, which was 54% more this May over May 2023.
Earlier this month, Assembly Member Michael Reilly (R-Staten Island), introduced legislation that would criminalize face coverings in certain settings, according to the Staten Island Advance.
“While the right to peaceful assembly and free speech are core to our national values, the deceptive use of masks and other facial coverings pose a significant risk to public safety,” Reilly, a former NYPD lieutenant, said in the Advance article. “If this proposal becomes law, it will hold individuals accountable for their actions and may even deter the kinds of disruptive and violent behavior we’ve witnessed unfold at our colleges and universities.”
