Boro Park & Williamsburg Locals Protest Police Shutting Small Businesses

Edited by: JV Staff

In the Williamsburg and Boro Park sections of Brooklyn, crowds of Orthodox Jews and Chassidim gathered to protest the closure of stores on the respective neighborhoods main shopping drags; Wallabout Street and on 13th Avenue. In Boro Park the scene turned ugly with people screaming at the Deputies, and passersby encouraging the protesters to hold their ground and not disperse. as was reported by Yeshiva World News.

Naturally, social media exploded with viral videos and many are claiming that the city is targeting the Jewish neighborhoods.

The Jewish news entity also reported that the NYPD were not exclusively targeting Jewish businesses that defied lock down orders.

The coronavirus crisis has forced more than 100,000 small businesses in New York to close permanently, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said on Friday.

“Small businesses are taking a real beating,” he said. “They are 90 percent of New York’s businesses and they’re facing the toughest challengers.”; All but essential businesses have now been closed since New York’s shutdown started on March 22. Millions of former employees are now registered as unemployed, Patch reported

While New York will be launching   its own small business relief program, with more than $100 million that it will make available as loans, some proprietors are not  waiting for the government to rescue them or totally collapse like thousands have done already.

According to a report on the Yeshiva World News web site, beginning on Sunday morning, around 200 stores opened in Boro Park, Williamsburg, Flatbush, Monsey and the Five Towns. They will use extreme social distancing, some just curbside service, while others will allow one person at a time into their establishments. They are banded together under the name #ReopenNY

Organizers told YWN that Governor Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio are aware of the movement. The group has lawyers & is well prepared for legal action, including visits by the police.

YWN told readers that they think it is “outrageous for the city to allow Target, Costco and every other major store to be opened, while they are destroying every small business by forcing them to remain closed.” They also confirmed the fact  that the sheriff’s department did not specifically target stores in Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn as they visited other neighborhoods in the city to issue summonses on stores that were open for business and were not considered essential services.

YWN added that, “there are photos of long lines – with zero social distancing – outside businesses in Bushwick and other areas, but apparently, there were no 311 complaints made.”