Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., said she is considering reinstating her state’s mask ban to reduce crime, a proposal that has been rejected by some social media accounts still fearing the COVID pandemic -19.
Hochul spoke with CNN anchor Laura Coates on Wednesday evening about potential steps she could take to reduce rampant crime in New York, including reinstating a previous mask ban. Jewish leaders said masks have made violent offenders less afraid of committing anti-Semitic hate crimes.
“But I’m absolutely going to come back and take a look at it and see if it can be brought back because it scares people,” Hochul said of the mask ban.
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Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., told CNN on Wednesday that she is considering banning masks in New York to prevent crime. (Screenshot/CNN)
Coates got Hochul to talk about a 4% increase in anti-Semitic incidents across New York City. The presenter noted that the “tone” and “aggressiveness” of anti-Semitic crimes and vandalism “seems to have really escalated and is occurring where commuters are and beyond.”
The governor called the acts “classic anti-Semitism” and “hate crimes,” and praised his administration for reforming bail laws so that suspects accused of committing hate crimes can be detained on bail.
She added that her team added “28 additional offenses to our list of hate crimes,” “enhanced security in vulnerable locations, particularly places of worship,” and worked to protect college campuses during the start of the school year.
Coates then addressed the possible ban on masks, saying: “There is also a call that some have talked about – some Jewish leaders in New York tonight are calling for a ban on masks, saying that covering the face allows protesters to have a certain level of anonymity. more aggressive, to have more of the right to say what they want because they do not fear reprisals in the same way. »
“Would you support this company?” » asked the anchor.
The governor began by noting that there was a ban on masks “before the pandemic, that you couldn’t have a face covering that served no purpose…The pandemic removed that from our state law.”
She continued, noting that she will “absolutely come back and take a look.”
“You’re sitting on a subway train and someone puts on a mask like this… you don’t know if they’re going to commit a crime, if they’ll have a gun or if they’re just going to be threatening, bullying you because you are Jewish, which is exactly what happened the other day, absolutely unacceptable in the state of New York,” Hochul said.
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New York State Governor Kathy Hochul presents her 2025 state executive budget in the Red Room of the State Capitol, January 16, 2024, in Albany, New York. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)
Several social media accounts concerned about COVID-19 have expressed their displeasure with a possible mask ban.
Public health commentator Dr. Lucky Tran posted: “UPDATE: New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on CNN last night that she is considering banning masks. @GovKathyHochul, it’s is absolutely shameful! New York has suffered so much from COVID, and COVID is not.” We should normalize (sic) and depoliticize masks, not ban them.
The “COVID Advocacy NY” account posted: “NY ACTION ALERT: @GovKathyHochul said on CNN she is considering banning masks in New York. We must all speak out against this!
The account also provided details on how to contact the governor or his team.
Health policy activist Myra Batchelder commented, “I just called and spoke with Governor Hochul’s staff. I urge New Yorkers to call and message his office today and ask him not to ban masks in New York! A ban on masks would endanger people’s lives and health. We can’t ban masks in New York.”
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