De Blasio’s policy escalates the Left’s war on religious liberty.
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has become a convenient punching bag for both the Right and the Left. But if nothing else, de Blasio deserves credit for candor in offering an explanation for a glaring contradiction in his enforcement of coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
The mayor has been a zealous enforcer of lockdown regulations, with a particular emphasis on targeting ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn. Though Jews were far from the only ones accused of violating social-distancing rules, in April de Blasio tweeted out a warning to “the Jewish community” in which he threatened to send the police to arrest all those who gathered in groups, a reference to instances of Jews attending weddings, funerals, and religious services.
After several days of mass protests against police brutality (with some simply supporting the abolition of police), followed by nights in which crowds of rioters rampaged through parts of the city looting iconic stores, such as the Macy’s in Herald Square, it was clear that stopping people from gathering “in large numbers” was no longer a priority. Yet even as the NYPD stood by as huge crowds marched against racism, the police were rousting Orthodox families out of Brooklyn parks and breaking up religious study sessions that were not in compliance with social-distancing regulations.
Jonathan S. Tobin – National Review – June 4, 2020.
