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Nassau County (New York) Executive Bruce Blakeman signed legislation on Wednesday banning the wearing of masks in public, with exceptions for health and religious reasons.
Blakeman said the bill “protects the public,” and county lawmaker Howard Kopel called it a response to “antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks” following the October 7th massacre in Israel.
The new law makes it a misdemeanor for anyone in Nassau County to wear a face covering to hide their identity in public, and imposes punishments of up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Exemptions are provided for those who wear masks for “health, safety, religious or cultural purposes, or for the peaceful celebration of a holiday or similar religious or cultural event for which masks or facial coverings are customarily worn.”
While mainly geared toward countering mask-wearing campus protesters, the law is also a “broad public safety measure,” Blakeman pointed out.
“What we’ve seen is people using masks to shoplift, to carjack, to rob banks, and this is activity we want to stop,” he said.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) welcomed the passage and signing of the legislation, stating, “Nassau County’s ‘Mask Transparency Act,’ which bans face coverings used to conceal one’s identity in public spaces, marks a pivotal step in combating the rise of antisemitic incidents in the U.S. since October 7th. We commend County Executive Bruce Blakeman and the bill’s sponsors for their leadership on this issue.”
“CAM is proud to have hosted County Executive Blakeman’s trip to Israel,” CAM added. “He is a true friend and ally in the fight against antisemitism. We urge other jurisdictions to swiftly adopt similar measures as part of a comprehensive strategy to combat antisemitism and protect all communities from hate-motivated violence.”
