York: Why do COVID rules make exceptions for protestors?

By Byron York

As the country struggles to vanquish coronavirus, Americans are witnessing a bizarre phenomenon in which some authorities tolerate and even praise highly politicized mass gatherings while at the same time suppress small activities - such as taking children to a playground - that are important to quality of life.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that when it comes to public gatherings, the "highest risk" for coronavirus transmission occurs during "large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area."

In New York on Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a new directive that very slightly eases restrictions on gatherings. "Gatherings of up to 25 people will be allowed in Phase Three of reopening, up from the limit of 10," his office announced.

But the day before, thousands packed into a plaza by the Brooklyn Museum for something called "Brooklyn Liberation ... an action for black trans lives." Social distancing was not observed. And while many were wearing masks, the state's policy does not have a mask exception to its guidelines against mass gatherings.

Brooklyn has 59,832 cases of coronavirus, more than 39 states. It has had 6,936 deaths, more than 47 states.

The police did not try to disperse the crowd.

Here's what seemed particularly crazy. Not long after the Brooklyn event, in nearby Williamsburg city workers welded shut a playground to keep children from playing.

"How long can we keep our kids in prison?" one mother asked the New York Post.

It's understandable that people in New York City would be stir-crazy and eager to resume normal life. Of course they are. But public officials are still trying to discourage that desire to open up. When a local news site published a photo of crowds drinking and socializing Friday night on St. Mark's Place in Manhattan's East Village, Cuomo censoriously tweeted, "Don't make me come down there ..."

Perhaps if they had been protesting.

Meanwhile, there were unmistakable signs the city's much-touted contact tracing program has become politicized. Experts hail contact tracing as a key weapon against further viral spread. But the New York news organization The City reported "The hundreds of contact tracing workers hired by the city under de Blasio's new 'test and trace' campaign have been instructed not to ask anyone who's tested positive for COVID-19 whether they recently attended a demonstration."

So if one has been at a playground where a person who tested positive for the virus has been, the city wants to know about it. But if one has been at "Brooklyn Liberation" and is among the thousands who tested positive, city doesn't.

Is it any wonder many have no faith in the wisdom, fairness and effectiveness of the authorities' efforts to control coronavirus?

There has been so much coronavirus-related criticism of gatherings around the country but relatively less concern over other mass gatherings, like protests for social causes. What sense does that make?

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