A group of Long Island lawmakers are working to enact a new law that will ban face masks, and those who violate it could face a hefty fine or possible jail time.
Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip proposed the bill after a concerned citizen told Pilip that she had been attacked by a masked protester during a recent pro-Palestine protest. The outspoken lawmaker said she wants to expose those responsible for the violence.
“They attack, they vandalize and they really hide behind free speech,” the Great Neck lawmaker said. NBC 4 New York.
“Covering their faces and thinking they can do whatever they want is absolutely unacceptable.”
She sponsored legislation that would make it a crime to wear a mask that conceals one’s identity in public, punishable by up to $1,000 and possible prison time. People who wear masks for health or religious reasons are exempt.
The bill was proposed by Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip (pictured), of Great Neck, after a citizen told her how she had been attacked at a recent protest. She wants to expose those responsible for the violence.
UnMask Hate NY held a press conference in front of Columbia University on June 28 against people who wear masks to hide their identities to commit crimes or incite hate.
Twelve Republican Nassau County lawmakers supported the bill that could become law next month, making Nassau County the first municipality in the tri-state area to ban masks.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, masks were mandatory, but the lawmaker told NBC 4 New York that criminals are now taking advantage.
In March, three masked thugs attempted to steal a man’s car in Cedarhurst.
When the driver refused, they hit him several times, but once he started screaming, the two men and a woman fled. ABC News 7 Fortunately, the man was not seriously injured in the attack.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has considered imposing a mask ban on people using New York City public transportation to help passengers feel safer.
Last month, UnMask Hate NY held a press conference outside Columbia University, attended by lawmakers, civil rights advocates and religious leaders, demanding that protesters not wear masks.
This spring, Columbia was a hotbed of pro-Palestinian protests, with masked rioters wreaking havoc and intimidating Jewish students.
The UnMask Hate campaign was launched as hate crimes have escalated in recent months and to help protect Jews and marginalized communities who are being terrorized.
Three masked robbers are seen attempting to steal a man’s car in Cedarhurst, Long Island, before fleeing after the man screamed.
The legislation was sponsored by Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip of Great Neck.
The proposed ban is also being discussed at the state level.
Debra Mule, a Democratic representative from Nassau County, said she supports the proposal but said she “wants to make sure it’s not targeted at certain people.”
The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) raised questions about how the bill would be implemented.
“This puts a spotlight on people of color and protesters that the government disagrees with,” said Susan Gottehrer, Nassau County regional director of the NYCLU, in a statement.
“People are not health professionals and they should not be in charge of deciding who needs a mask and who doesn’t.”
Some Long Islanders were confused about the proposed mandate.
A woman asked a local NBC reporter: “How are you going to know if someone wearing a mask has a cold or is going to rob a store?”
Another was perplexed and said: “How could they enforce that? They can’t.”
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