New York Governor Kathy Hochul is considering a partial ban on masks in the New York City subway system. The Democrat admits anti-Semitic protesters and criminals are using them to conceal their identities during illegal activities. This follows recent legislative actions in North Carolina, where lawmakers passed a ban on masks in public places, with exceptions for medical reasons. The North Carolina measure increases penalties for individuals wearing masks while committing crimes.
During a news conference, Hochul claimed she would “not tolerate individuals using masks to evade responsibility for criminal or threatening behavior.” She did not provide specific details about the prospective ban but said there would be exceptions for health, cultural, and religious reasons—meaning Muslims wearing face veils would be exempt.
The concept of banning masks in public is not new in New York. The state enacted a mask ban in the 1800s amidst violent protests, suspended in 2020 by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo due to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is backing Hochul’s proposed ban. Adams previously advocated for shopkeepers to require customers to remove masks upon entering their stores, to make thieves and other criminals easier to identify.
“Cowards hide their faces. Dr. [Martin Luther] King did not hide his face,” Adams said.
On Monday, masked protesters chanted anti-Semitic and pro-Hitler slogans on the New York subway. It is unclear whether those involved would be impacted by a subway mask ban, however, as the Palestinian keffiyehs and Islamic veils they wore would likely fall under the “cutural” and “religious” exceptions Hochul referenced.
“Raise your hand if you’re a Zionist.”
Pro-Palestine demonstrators in New York took their “Day of Rage for Gaza” protests to the Manhattan subway as they rallied around the city on June 10 pic.twitter.com/YFArZajSF6
— TRT World (@trtworld) June 13, 2024
