Nassau County, New York, made its first arrest under the new Mask Transparency Act, which prohibits protesters from wearing masks in public, except for medical or religious reasons.
Omar Ramirez Castillo, 18, was arrested for suspicious behavior while wearing a mask and carrying a 14-inch knife.
The county executive praised the arrest as a success and Castillo was charged with multiple offenses, including violating the mask ban.
Earlier this month, Nassau County passed the measure that makes wearing facemasks illegal. The bill comes as many have worn masks while participating in anti-Israel demonstrations.
All 12 Republicans voted in support of the measure, while all 4 Democrats abstained from the vote.
The New York Civil Liberties Union condemned the effort, saying the mask ban is a “dangerous misuse of the law to score political points and target protestors.”
“Barring people who speak out from protecting themselves and their identities puts their health and well-being in danger, particularly people with disabilities, people of color, and those with unpopular views,” the group said, according to NewsNation. “Masks protect people who express political opinions that are unpopular. Making anonymous protest illegal chills political action and is ripe for selective enforcement, leading to doxxing, surveillance, and retaliation against protesters. Banning face masks also puts Nassau County residents’ health at risk.”
“With COVID-19 on the rise across Long Island, face coverings are critical to protecting the health of an individual, their family, and their community…The ban’s so-called health and religious exceptions are entirely inadequate: Nassau County police officers are not health professionals or religious experts capable of deciding who needs a mask and who doesn’t,” the statement added.
