Posted on 06/29/24
| News Source: JNS
A coalition of faith and civil leaders is demanding that New York State reinstate its law banning wearing masks in public places after months of violent anti-Israel protesters wearing face coverings.
The campaign, called Unmask NY, has garnered the support of Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City.
“New York City will always defend your right to free speech and will continue to protect public health, but we are increasingly seeing masked protestors using anonymity to intimidate, threaten and break the law,” Adams said on Thursday. “This behavior is unacceptable, and we will not tolerate it.”
The mayor spoke outside of Columbia University’s campus, which was the site of a pro-Hamas encampment this spring where protesters, many of them masked, intimidated and harassed Jewish students and other members of the Columbia community.
Also attended the press conference were New York State Assembly members from three of the city’s five boroughs; National Urban League president Marc Morial; Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of Anti-Defamation League; Mount Neboh Baptist Church pastor Johnnie Green; representatives of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York; and the UJA-Federation of New York also attended the press conference.