(TheRedAlertNews.com) – In what sounds like a bizarre reversal of the pandemic “normal,” in which people were unjustly punished for not wearing face masks, a man has now been arrested for wearing a mask under a Republican-sponsored regulation designed to crack down on violent leftist protesters.
Nassau County, located in the suburban region of Long Island, New York, witnessed its first arrest under a recently enacted mask ban over the past weekend, National Review reports.
This new legislation prohibits protesters from wearing masks in public spaces, while it provides exemptions for those donning facial coverings due to medical or religious reasons, according to statements from local authorities on Tuesday.
Earlier in the month, the county’s Executive, Bruce Blakeman, officiated the Mask Transparency Act into law following its unanimous endorsement by the Republican-majority legislature.
This first arrest underlines the effectiveness of the ban, asserted by the Nassau County Police Department.
The individual apprehended was identified as 18-year-old Omar Ramirez Castillo. Dressed in all-black attire and masked, Castillo was detained on Sunday evening following reports of suspicious behavior.
During the arrest, officers noticed a protrusion in his waistband, which was discovered to be a 14-inch knife.
Castillo initially resisted arrest, although no injuries were sustained during the incident.
Subsequently, Castillo faced charges including fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, and violation of the Mask Transparency Act. He was arraigned in court the following day.
The office of Bruce Blakeman lauded the arrest as a “success” for the enforcement of the new mask prohibition.
Since the enactment of the law on August 14, the Nassau County Police Department has not noted any other violations of the Mask Transparency Act, while defending their stringent enforcement measures.
“To be able to facilitate these investigations, we need to unmask them,” commented a police spokesperson to NBC New York.
However, the law has faced criticism for potentially infringing on citizens’ rights to free speech.
The New York Civil Liberties Union criticized the law for “chilling political action and being ripe for selective enforcement, which could lead to doxxing, surveillance, and retaliation against protesters.”
In defense of the law, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder clarified to legislators that arrests would only occur if the mask were worn for illicit purposes, excluding medical or religious reasons.
Officers would engage with individuals to ascertain the reasons for mask-wearing before proceeding with any law enforcement actions.
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