New York Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed creating "safety zones" outside houses of worship, where individuals can go freely without facing protests or threats of violence. The move comes as part of her State of the State address next week and is aimed at addressing growing antisemitism concerns.
The proposal builds on last month's legislation introduced after a raucous protest outside Manhattan's Park East Synagogue, which saw dozens of people waving flags and holding signs behind metal barricades. Hochul aims to provide buffer zones around religious sites where individuals can feel safe without being intimidated or disrupted by protesters.
Critics argue that any such law would face judicial scrutiny, as the US Supreme Court previously struck down a similar Massachusetts law creating 35-foot buffers around abortion clinics in 2014. Legal experts, including Baher Azmy of the Center for Constitutional Rights, caution that the proposal could be contentious and may infringe on First Amendment rights to free speech.
However, supporters argue that safety measures are necessary to protect houses of worship and worshippers from hate groups and protesters who use intimidation tactics. Assemblymembers Nily Rozic and Micah Lasher are backing Hochul's initiative, citing concerns over the resurgence in antisemitism and the need for targeted measures to ensure public safety.
Justin Harrison, senior policy counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union, emphasized that any law should be narrowly tailored to pass constitutional muster. He noted that while protecting safety is paramount, upholding Constitutionally-protected speech must also be a priority.
Hochul's spokesperson has declined to offer further details on her proposal, but the governor's efforts are seen as a step towards addressing the growing concerns over hate crimes and intimidation tactics at places of worship.
The proposal builds on last month's legislation introduced after a raucous protest outside Manhattan's Park East Synagogue, which saw dozens of people waving flags and holding signs behind metal barricades. Hochul aims to provide buffer zones around religious sites where individuals can feel safe without being intimidated or disrupted by protesters.
Critics argue that any such law would face judicial scrutiny, as the US Supreme Court previously struck down a similar Massachusetts law creating 35-foot buffers around abortion clinics in 2014. Legal experts, including Baher Azmy of the Center for Constitutional Rights, caution that the proposal could be contentious and may infringe on First Amendment rights to free speech.
However, supporters argue that safety measures are necessary to protect houses of worship and worshippers from hate groups and protesters who use intimidation tactics. Assemblymembers Nily Rozic and Micah Lasher are backing Hochul's initiative, citing concerns over the resurgence in antisemitism and the need for targeted measures to ensure public safety.
Justin Harrison, senior policy counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union, emphasized that any law should be narrowly tailored to pass constitutional muster. He noted that while protecting safety is paramount, upholding Constitutionally-protected speech must also be a priority.
Hochul's spokesperson has declined to offer further details on her proposal, but the governor's efforts are seen as a step towards addressing the growing concerns over hate crimes and intimidation tactics at places of worship.
safety zones around houses of worship? it feels like we're takin back our rights to peaceful protests, ya know? but at the same time, havin people feel safe is key 
my aunt went to synagogue last year and said she was intimidated by a bunch of protesters outside... that's not cool 
so maybe this proposal isn't a bad thing? i mean, it's not like we're gettin rid of our 1st amendment rights or anythin' 
but let's be real, there's a fine line here. we gotta find a way to protect people from harm without stiflin free speech 
I feel like this is such an important issue, especially with antisemitism on the rise. You can't just ignore it or expect people to be able to go about their daily lives without feeling threatened or intimidated. But at the same time, you have to consider the whole free speech thing... 
I mean, what's fair? Shouldn't we want people to be able to express themselves and protest, but not in a way that puts someone else in harm's way? 
Maybe there's a middle ground here that we can find. We need to balance safety with our rights as citizens... 
it's so sad that people have to live in fear just because they want to pray or attend church... those metal barricades must've been super scary for everyone involved 
but at the same time, i get why some ppl are worried about infringing on free speech 
we gotta find that balance between keeping everyone safe and still being able to express ourselves without fear 
safety zones would literally make everyone feel so much safer while they're just trying to go to church or synagogue without being harassed 
like kathy hochul is really on top of this antisemitism thing and it's so appreciated 
. and what about free speech? isn't that still a thing in the US? 
. i'm all for public safety, but isn't there a way to do it without limiting our right to express ourselves? 
. anyway, i guess Hochul's just trying to be proactive about it... 
The fact that people are using intimidation tactics is just unacceptable. 
. But if we can get this right, it could make a big difference for people who just want to worship in peace. 
. We need to protect our communities and ensure everyone feels welcome and safe. It's the least we can do, right? 
I totally get why Kathy Hochul is proposing these "safety zones" outside houses of worship. As someone who's all about mindfulness and inner peace, it breaks my heart to think that people have to deal with protests and threats just because they want to pray or celebrate. 
Anyway, I get what Kathy Hochul is trying to do here - create a buffer zone for people who just want to pray in peace. But seriously, who doesn't love a good debate about free speech vs safety? It's like the ultimate game of Jenga: do we take away our right to protest and make it safer for minorities, or do we risk losing some of that freedom? 
another day, more hate groups trying to intimidate ppl from exercisin their rights 
... create "safety zones" around houses of worship? sounds like a good idea, but what's the point if it just means police will have to deal with more protests and lawsuits? 
35-foot buffers in MA didn't work out so well last time... can we just focus on addressin antisemitism instead of creatin new laws? 
those protests can be super scary, especially for people who don't wanna engage with the protesters 
and btw, if it helps reduce antisemitism concerns then i'm totally on board 
I'm like, isn't that just called a " buffer zone" aka a designated area where you can chill without getting interrupted 
? Oh wait, I forgot, there are some pretty intense folks out there who think hate speech is the way to go 
. It's not just about creating "safety zones" though, it's about sending a strong message that hate speech and violence won't be tolerated 
.
.
. And what about private property? Shouldn't the owners have the right to decide how they want their space to be used? 
... like community outreach programs or education initiatives? 
It's about time someone in power actually addresses this crazy antisemitism stuff. I'm not saying it's an easy fix, but safety zones around houses of worship? It's not that hard to protect people from idiots who just wanna cause trouble. I know some folks are gonna say it infringes on free speech or whatever, but let's be real... there's a difference between free speech and actually threatening someone's life. And yeah, maybe the Supreme Court did strike down that similar law in Massachusetts, but we can't just sit back and do nothing about this. I think Hochul is trying to strike a balance here. It's not like she's proposing some draconian law... 35-foot buffers or whatever, seems reasonable to me. And if it means keeping people safe from hate groups, then yeah, let's do it.