Mayor Adams’ Mask Ban Stalls Amid Backlash, Missteps, and Jewish Group Pushback

By:  Fern Sidman

The fragile political lifeline of Mayor Eric Adams’ proposed anti-mask legislation appeared to unravel this week, following a botched rollout that even drew fire from Jewish advocacy groups initially expected to champion the initiative. As The New York Post has learned, the mask ban — conceived as a bold law-and-order statement amid rising antisemitic street demonstrations — has instead become a case study in municipal mismanagement and political miscalculation.

Though the administration insists the measure remains “very much alive,” insiders told The New York Post that City Hall’s attempt to outpace Albany with its own more aggressive anti-mask ordinance quickly devolved into confusion, internal resistance, and external embarrassment.

The legislation, heavily promoted by First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro — a combative veteran of Rudy Giuliani’s administration — initially drew cautious optimism from segments of the Jewish community, particularly groups such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and United Jewish Appeal (UJA), which have long expressed concern over masked demonstrators often associated with antisemitic rallies.

But that support rapidly eroded as Mastro and the Adams team pressed ahead with a version of the bill that not only failed to include exemptions for religious attire and medical needs but also carried harsh penalties — including up to a year of jail time for repeat offenders. As The New York Post reported, Jewish leaders viewed the bill as “overly broad,” and were blindsided when City Hall falsely claimed their endorsement to pressure City Council members into backing the measure.

“They just said ‘Yes, they are in,’” one insider told The New York Post, fuming at what they described as a cynical ploy to strong-arm legislative support. “The groups were not on board.”

Faced with rising public scrutiny and political fallout, Adams’ team was forced into damage control. Following The New York Post’s report on the controversial jail provision, City Hall first trimmed the sentence from 12 months to 90 days — then eliminated the incarceration threat altogether.

This clumsy backtracking was emblematic of the wider disorder that has plagued the bill’s trajectory. Two separate press events scheduled to unveil the legislation were abruptly canceled, sources said, amid mounting resistance from lawmakers and community groups. Even supportive City Council members were left baffled, with one calling the rollout “frustrating” and admitting that even constituents who wanted a mask ban were turned off by the chaotic presentation.

“It’s frustrating that they did it this way,” the council member told The New York Post, lamenting that a potentially popular measure was torpedoed by poor execution. “The Jewish community wants a mask ban — but not like this.”

Indeed, the symbolism of the bill was not lost on advocates in the Jewish community, where calls for action against masked intimidation have grown louder in recent months. But that urgency was undermined by the Adams administration’s decision to bypass collaborative efforts already underway in the City Council — most notably, Minority Leader Joann Ariola’s mask ban bill, which includes a suite of exemptions and has already undergone preliminary vetting.

In a sharply worded statement, Ariola accused the mayor of staging a “dog and pony show” for headlines. “Rather than collaborate and work with me on my properly vetted and already introduced bill, the Mayor rushed out this knockoff in a poor attempt to make noise,” she told The New York Post. “It’s pretty clear to me that this isn’t about actually solving problems and making New York safer.”

Mastro, for his part, dismissed Ariola’s criticisms and insisted the City Hall proposal was far superior. “Her ski mask ban with a number of exemptions isn’t even comparable,” he claimed, while continuing to defend the mayor’s effort as an update of a 100-year-old state law, now gutted by Albany.

But even the measure’s legal architecture may be on shaky ground. As The New York Post report noted, the council already has an active mask ban bill in circulation, raising concerns that any new legislation could encounter procedural roadblocks — or be dismissed as duplicative.

Late Wednesday, the UJA finally endorsed the most recent iteration of the bill, following days of backroom negotiations and edits. Still, the group’s spokesperson offered only a measured endorsement: “We are grateful to Mayor Adams for exploring all possible avenues to help keep New Yorkers safe against masked intimidation and harassment.”

It remains unclear whether Adams can now muster enough support in the Council to advance his version of the bill — or if the mask ban will become another high-profile casualty of an administration frequently criticized for reactive policy and erratic communication.

City Hall’s press secretary Kayla Mamelak tried to downplay the cancellations, describing the scrapped press conferences as mere “placeholders,” canceled once it became clear the legislative language wasn’t finalized.

But to many insiders, the damage has already been done. What began as a calculated response to a very real threat — masked intimidation at antisemitic protests — now appears mired in distrust, confusion, and a political calculus that misjudged both its audience and the mechanics of governance.