New York Should Reinstate Its Mask Ban to Address Antisemitism and Other Hate Crimes

Restoring New York’s sensible ban on public masking is a paramount concern for civil rights organizations and the Jewish community.

Organizations such as the Urban League, NAACP, and Anti-Defamation League witness masked protestors attacking Jews and supporters of Israel on college campuses and in urban settings, recalling how hooded Klansmen instilled fear in African Americans and led to New York’s prohibition on concealing one’s identity during protests.

It’s not solely about solidarity with Jews; they also remember the 2017 hate march in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. They understand that various minority groups could face repercussions if the acceptance of masked “protests” continues.

Launched in June, the #UnMaskHateNY campaign has been gaining momentum to galvanize public support for state measures aimed at reversing the Legislature’s loosening of these restrictions that commenced at the start of the pandemic—correctly asserting that “masked intimidation with intent” to harass constitutes a form of terrorism.

Nassau County implemented a ban on facial coverings in August, and this law has thus far endured legal challenges.

While any ban would include exceptions for legitimate medical reasons, it has become evident since the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, that “pro-Palestinian protests” often feature individuals who implicitly (and frequently explicitly) threaten violence while hiding their identities, be it with medical masks or keffiyehs.

Additionally, Luigi Mangione was masked while waiting outside a hotel in Manhattan before allegedly shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

It is ludicrous for civil liberties advocates to oppose this ban: No individual possesses a First Amendment right to obscure their identity while intimidating others through in-person “speech.”

Moreover, those who claim that widespread masking still serves a public health purpose are mistaken: Very few people continue this practice, and the pandemic hasn’t returned in any significant manner.

The nation abolished hooded mob violence against Black Americans; it must similarly combat masked antisemitic mob violence.

The decision to repeal, instead of suspend, the masking ban in 2020 was misguided.

Now there is an obligation to support Bronx Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s initiative to reinstate the law: Anything less permits hate-filled individuals to terrorize the innocent.