For Immediate Release: March 27, 2025
Media Contact: Lisa Thomas, lisa@alignny.org, (347) 415-6431
ALIGN to Governor Hochul: A Mask Ban Protects No One
ALBANY, NY – As Governor Hochul and State leaders consider passing a mask ban within the FY2026 state budget, ALIGN issued the following statement:
“A mask ban is an affront to New Yorkers’ right to health, safety, and protest. Such a ban does not protect anyone from harm; instead it further marginalizes immunocompromised communities, increases the spread of airborne infectious disease, and criminalizes political protest while subjecting New Yorkers to discrimination, harassment, and racial profiling. Carve-outs for medical and religious purposes ignore that policing intent is subjective. Inevitably, this ban will be used to further the disproportionate targeting of Muslim, Black, brown, and immigrant communities. So let’s call this what it is: a tool for state surveillance and retaliation against dissent, currently targeting activists protesting war crimes in Gaza. As our nation marches toward fascism, New York must stand strong for our civil liberties. Wearing a mask is not a crime — it is a right,” said Theodore A. Moore, ALIGN Executive Director.
About ALIGN
ALIGN (The Alliance for a Greater New York) brings together labor, climate, and community organizations for a more just, sustainable New York. Working at the intersection of economic and climate justice, ALIGN builds coalitions with those most impacted and uplifts worker and community voices to fight for dignity in the workplace and a just path to a renewable energy economy for all. Read more about ALIGN’s 2025 Agenda for a Green, Affordable NY.