NY governor’s subway mask ban proposal sparks debate over right to anonymous protest

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A new proposal by Gov. Kathy Hochul to ban masks on the New York subway is drawing pushback from disability advocates and civil liberties, who say the measure could violate the right to protest anonymously. Hochul floated the measure this week in response to an event involving masked pro-Palestinian demonstrators aboard a train that she described as antisemitic. But a director at the ACLU has warned the proposal may be unconstitutional if it is selectively enforced. While New York previously banned public mask-wearing prior to the pandemic, the law was challenged repeatedly in court with mixed results. Hochul says the proposal would include exemptions for those who masked for health or religious reasons.