Act Now
Politicians across the country, including Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, have voiced support for enacting mask bans under the guise of stopping crime. On Long Island, Nassau County has already enacted a broad, overreaching mask ban, lawmakers in Ballston Spa in Saratoga County passed a similar measure, and the Yonkers City Council in Westchester County is considering its own mask ban. This comes as COVID-19 remains a serious health threat and protestors face continued, unrelenting doxxing and targeted surveillance.
The truth is, a mask ban won’t do anything to stop crime. In reality, it will just push people with disabilities further into the margins, target protestors with controversial views, and give police new reason to unfairly stop Black, Brown, and Muslim people who are already disparately surveilled and policed.
Wearing a mask should not be a crime.