An Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn burned face masks in a bonfire to protest Gov. Cuomo imposing a local coronavirus lockdown on them
By Ashley Collman
Business Insider
October 7, 2020
Members of an Orthodox Jewish community started a bonfire in the middle of a Borough Park, Brooklyn street on Tuesday night, as the community protested a new local lockdown.
Borough Park is among nine New York City zip codes set to go into a new lockdown on Friday, to address a spike in coronavirus cases. The lockdown, imposed by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, will include closing schools and nonessential businesses, banning mass gatherings, and restricting houses of worship to no more than ten people.
All nine neighborhoods are home to Orthodox Jewish populations, according to The New York Times, and the lockdown announcement comes as they celebrate the Sukkot holiday.
As The Times reported, officials have had a hard time getting members of these communities to follow COVID-19 precautions.
Local leaders told the newspaper that the spike in infections is due in part to their beliefs that they had achieved herd immunity and in various coronavirus misinformation spread by President Donald Trump. The president has an overwhelming support in the Orthodox community, which traditionally backs conservative Republican candidates.
"This is a community where a lot of people believe they have already had the virus, a lot of people believe they have herd immunity, so they really believe they don't need to get tested," Brooklyn assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein said last month, according to The Times.
At one Tuesday night gathering on 13th Avenue, in Borough Park, protesters lit a fire and started throwing cardboard boxes and face masks into the flames, according to NBC New York.
Protesters also chased away two sheriff's deputies who responded to the scene, according to NBC New York.
The New York Police Department told NBC New York no arrests or summonses were issued, but one person was injured early Wednesday morning "from a physical confrontation with other congregant(s)."
The New York Post reported that at one gathering on 13th Avenue, protesters shut down the street to vehicular traffic and chanted "Jewish Lives Matter."
"It's called civil disobedience, we can fight back," community activist Heshy Tischler said as he tore up his face mask at one of the gatherings, according to the Post.
Earlier in the evening, Councilman Kalman Yeger told the crowds: "We are not going to be deprived of the right that we have in America, like everybody else in America, the right to observe our religion."
Yeger was among a group of other community leaders who wrote a letter deriding the lockdown decision.
"We are appalled by Governor Cuomo's words and actions today. He has chosen to pursue a scientifically and constitutionally questionable shutdown of our communities," said the statement from Yeger, State Sen. Simcha Felder, Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, and Councilman Chaim Deutsch.
The leaders wrote that it was "disgraceful" to target "our community in the midst of our Jewish holidays."
Catholics in Marine Park, another Brooklyn neighborhood, also protested the local lockdowns earlier Tuesday, gathering outside of Good Shepherd Catholic Academy. The protest included mostly parents, staffers, and children of the school, which was closed under the restrictions.
The principal of the school, John O'Brien, told the Post he was "disappointed" with the decision.
"We've had one month of school where the boys and girls have been in the building every day. We're following all the guidelines that we're supposed to. Thank God we've had no positive cases, nobody's been sick, and still we have to close today," O'Brien said.
Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio also slammed the decision, pointing out that Catholic churches in Brooklyn and Queens "have not had any COVID outbreaks or significant cases since reopening on July 5 to 25% capacity."
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Jewish man blasted as ‘snitch’ badly beaten during Borough Park protests
A Hasidic Borough Park resident was beaten — and blasted as a “snitch” — as riots raged in the neighborhood over state-mandated restrictions imposed during a COVID-19 surge there.
Berish Getz, 34, was standing on top of a trailer early Wednesday, recording video, when someone in the crowd shouted, “This is Getz!,” according to a relative who did not want to be identified.
The crowd started yelling that he was recording video in order to “snitch” and demanded that he stop, according to the relative.
Getz jumped down to avoid any further harm — but that made matters worse as the entire mob ganged up on him and beat him, the family member said.
Police sources say three men hit him in the neck, head and face at 14th Avenue and 46th Street around 1:30 a.m.
One assailant struck him with a stick while the others continued throwing objects, according to the relative.
“This is my best brother. Critically injured by anti mask hasidic rioters. NOT RESPONSIVE!” Berish’s brother, Mordy Getz, tweeted. “We want full investigation and prosecution.”
Video obtained by The Post does not capture the assault, but shows the horde of protesters converging in one direction, one of them clearly yelling, “Snitch!”
The crowd also chanted in Hebrew, “All the wicked should be cut!,” The Forward reported.
He was taken to Maimonides Medical Center, initially with critical injuries, but his condition has stabilized, cops said.
Getz, who was wearing a mask, has advocated for others in the community to do the same, according to the report.
A photographer was also chased away and attacked by the crowd during the protests.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio threatens fines of $15k if people living in locked down COVID-19 hotspot neighborhoods violate mass gatherings ban and $1,000 fines for no masks from tomorrow
Daily Mail
October 7, 2020
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has threatened to fine people $15,000 if they violate a ban on mass gatherings and $1,000 for those refusing to wear masks in the hotspot neighborhoods being shutdown from tomorrow due to rising COVID-19 rates.
His threat came a day after new rules were announced by the state that will affect residents living in parts of Brooklyn and Queens.
The strict new restrictions are being placed on businesses, houses of worship and schools in various neighborhoods that are largely Orthodox Jewish strongholds from Thursday.
During his daily press briefing on Wednesday, de Blasio threatened to dish out heavy fines: $15,000 for violation of mass gatherings and $1,000 for no masks.
His threats came after hundreds of furious Orthodox Jews protested in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Borough Park a night earlier over the new restrictions that they argue unfairly target them.
'We are dealing with a health emergency. The state has laid down very clear rules. Everyone must follow those rules. The NYPD will be enforcing those rules,' de Blasio said.
When asked about the protests in Brooklyn, de Blasio said: 'There is a place for peaceful protest. There will be no tolerance for assaults, for damage to property, for setting fires.
'I understand that there are people who disagree with this plan and it is a democracy - we appreciate there is always going to be disagreements.
'But it's crucial that those who disagree still respect that the state and city have made a decision for the health and safety of all.'
Asked about concerns from the Orthodox Jewish community that they are being unfairly targeted, de Blasio said: 'This is about protecting everyone's lives.
'This is about all New Yorkers. When you look at the communities in Brooklyn and Queens, it's lots of different kinds of people. Remember, we're talking about two of the most diverse places on Earth.
'Within these areas are many kinds of people, and we want to protect everyone. This is based on data and science.'
My own opinion, for what that may be worth to you, is that, if push comes to shove, it will be hard to justify closing down religious services without some STRONG, well defined and thoroughly documented facts to back the action up. I have not seen that those facts exist.
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