Park Gate Welded Shut In Jewish Neighborhood. NYC Mayor’s Office Defends It.

A video circulating on social media Monday appeared to show a group of men welding the gate shut of a park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a historically Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. The parks in the city remain closed, under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s leadership, however, many are questioning the incident as he continues to allow thousands of residents to protest and even riot in the streets.

The Mayor’s spokesperson Jane Meyer defended the move, telling this reporter that “We know families are looking for relief, and we are watching health indicators closely and simultaneously working on a plan so when it’s safe to open playgrounds, we can.”

When asked if other parks had been welded shut, Meyer explained that “If patrons remove locks that were keeping gates closed, they will be shut again.” Although requested by this reporter, Meyer didn’t provide a list of other parks that had been welded shut across the city.

Over the last weekend, however, thousands of protestors in Brooklyn were allowed to participate in a Black Lives Matter rally as social distancing orders remained.

The Mayor has been pressed for allegedly singling out the Jewish community amid the COVID lockdowns. In fact, he’s put out a series of tweets threatening them with arrest and even Cease and Desist orders.

Now, de Blasio has become the center of a lawsuit with both Jewish and Catholic plaintiffs claim “selective enforcement” of the Mayor’s “social distancing orders.” Moreover, their suit alleges that de Blasio prevented them from gathering for religious purposes while allowing thousands to protest in the streets.