Little social distancing was seen at an enormous rally in Brooklyn, which ironically took place just as the New York State governor signed-out bars and restaurants as the grossest violators of the Covid-19 lockdown rules.
Thousands of white-clad protesters have filled the courtyard of the Brooklyn Museum in solidarity with the black transgender community, and to draw attention to the deaths of transgender people in prisons and police custody.
The crowd, however, appeared to be completely ignoring social distancing rules put in place to slow down the spread of Covid-19 – prompting many to wonder how this stands with New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s fresh threats to strip restaurants and bars of their liquor license if they violate quarantine rules.
While he also warned against hosting “parties in the street,” and said that protesters can be fined for not wearing masks, he chose to single out small businesses in a separate tweet.
But this is ok, right? Just making sure I drink my beer in the right crowd. Brooklyn seems to be exempt of Cuomo’s outrage. pic.twitter.com/3FwaDehxDu
In a similar vein, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has repeatedly promised sanctions against people who flout social distancing rules by doing things like “congregating outside bars.”
“NY leadership is a Joke. You cannot have a small business or a bar or a barber to give you a haircut, small kids cannot go into parks to play, while #BlackTransLiveMatter is happening in Brooklyn,” one person wrote on Twitter.
I rememeber a month ago when people were yelling at beach goers that were actually staying 6 feet apart.
— Friday I'm In Love (@FridayImInLov14) June 14, 2020
“I remember a month ago when people were yelling at beachgoers that were actually staying 6 feet apart,” another commenter wrote.
De Blasio cancelled all concerts, festivals and parades in the city, including the 2020 Pride, through June. This prompted a person online to ask: “Why did they cancel music festivals? Is this any different?”
“I guess the virus is off today?” another quipped.
Many US cities have seen large-scale anti-racist and police brutality protests in recent weeks, raising concerns of a new wave of Covid-19 infections.
