A regular sight at pro-Hamas protests inspired the Nassau County Legislature on Long Island, N.Y., to take action curtailing activists’ efforts to conceal their identities.
The “Mask Transparency Act” went into effect in the New York county on Wednesday, having passed earlier this month and then signed by Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman.
Individuals who use masks to hide their faces during protests will face as much as one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. The measure makes exceptions for masks worn for health or religious reasons.
Sacha Roytman, CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement said in a statement, called the measure ”a pivotal step in combating the rise of antisemitic incidents in the United States since Oct. 7.”
He urged “other jurisdictions to swiftly adopt similar measures as part of a comprehensive strategy to combat antisemitism and protect all communities from hate-motivated violence.”
On Thursday, Inna Vernikov, a Republican member of the New York City Council for the 48th District, announced her intent to introduce the “Unmask theinna Hate” resolution, which would call for comparable legislation at the state level.
She spoke of facing “an intense uptick in criminality coupled with anti-American and antisemitic hatred in New York City, and these sick individuals are emboldened by their anonymity to the point of openly spewing hatred and acting violently without worry of any consequences. We have to bring safety back to our streets. Unmask the criminals.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on June 13: “We will not tolerate individuals using masks to evade responsibility for criminal or threatening behavior. My team is working on a solution, but on a subway, people should not be able to hide behind a mask to commit crimes.”
