Jewish leaders in ultra-Orthodox communities in Brooklyn, NY, took to the streets last week to protest what they see as being unfairly targeted by Governor Andrew Cuomo after he announced new limits to religious gatherings in specific communities in the City.
Some local officials issued a statement criticizing Cuomo over his actions.
“He has chosen to pursue a scientifically and constitutionally questionable shutdown of our communities, and his administration’s utter lack of coordination and communication with local officials has been an ongoing issue since the start of the pandemic and particularly recently as we faced this uptick,” the statement read, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Cuomo’s new restrictions went into effect on Friday and prompted the Roman Catholic diocese and an Orthodox Jewish group to sue. His new restrictions limit religious services to ten people. Cuomo’s decision to enforce the new guidelines seemed to anger the Jewish community because several religious holidays, like Sukkot, will be affected. A federal judge upheld Cuomo’s order last Friday.
Judge Kiyo Matsumoto of the Federal District Court in Brooklyn said she sympathized with the community but disagreed that Cuomo unfairly targeted the religious group.
“How can we ignore the compelling state interest in protecting the health and life of all New Yorkers?” she said, according to The New York Times.
The NYT reported that some members of the ultra-Orthodox community in Borough Park, Brooklyn, vented their frustrations and gathered in the streets and lit a small fire. There were reports the crowd assaulted photographers filming the event.
Cuomo insisted he was forced to make the decision due to an increase of infections in the area and some residents’ refusal to follow his guidelines. Mass gatherings could result in a $15,000 fine and non-mask wearers will be fined $1,000, according the Mayor’s office.
TREND FORECAST: Across the nation and around the world, religious groups and once-socially diverse factions will unite in fighting against COVID War mandates that threaten fundamental freedoms. Disparate factions against enforced vaccinations, rising taxes, and increasing government control will come together to form new political parties.
