| Time | Text |
|---|---|
|
Legal Protests and Mask Bans
00:03:36
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|
| A New York State County will ban protesters from wearing masks. | |
| Now, I don't remember. | |
| I can't say I don't remember. | |
| I don't think I ever knew. | |
| I knew the details of the law. | |
| I knew you can't wear a mask in public. | |
| In the midst of a crime, right? | |
| Wasn't that the issue? | |
| But there's no crime in protesting. | |
| I am completely for banning masks in protest. | |
| But if the protest is legal, if you're engaged in a legal activity, how can you ban the mask? | |
| I hate saying this because I want the masks taken off. | |
| Now, a lot of the protest activity is, in fact, illegal, though. | |
| A lot of it is trespassing. | |
| Everyone who took over a campus, and it'll be interesting to see will they take over campuses, you know, they resume classes very soon. | |
| A Republican-controlled legislature, this is a national review, in a New York suburban county approved a bill. | |
| To ban protesters from wearing masks in public spaces, though exceptions are made for people who cover their faces for health or religious reasons. | |
| So that's another problem, right? | |
| Because people could say, oh, that's a religious reason. | |
| Or, you know, medical reason. | |
| My grandfather, may he rest in peace, died of COVID three years ago. | |
| And I've been very careful since. | |
| Nassau County lawmakers introduced the Mask Transparency Act to target, quote, anti-Semitic incidents often perpetrated by those in masks, unquote, in the wake of Hamas' October 7th attack on Israel. | |
| The county is located on Long Island. | |
| Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is expected to sign the bill into law, as he has already expressed support for it. | |
| unless someone has a medical condition or a religious imperative, people should not be allowed to cover their face in a manner that hides their identity when in public. | |
| Once it takes effect, the bill will classify mask wearing in the context of a public protest as a misdemeanor. | |
| Those who violate the new law can serve up to one year in jail, receive a $1,000 fine, or face both punishments. | |
| The New York City Civil Liberties Union condemned the mask ban. | |
| Claiming it infringes on citizens' free speech rights. | |
| Quote, masks protect people who express political opinions that are unpopular. | |
|
Ripe for Retaliation
00:00:35
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|
| New York Civil Liberties Union's Nassau County Regional Director Susan Goderer said in a statement, making anonymous protests illegal. | |
| Well, they're not making it. | |
| Oh, anonymous. | |
| They are making anonymous protest illegal. | |
| That's correct. | |
| Chills political action and is ripe for selective enforcement, including to doxing, surveillance, and retaliation against protesters. | |
| Unquote. | |