Jake Dima
Contributor
June 26, 2020 3:05 PM ET
A federal judge on Friday blocked Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other New York leaders from prohibiting outdoor religious gatherings due to the coronavirus after officials endorsed mass protests.
Judge Gary Sharpe issued a preliminary injunction against Cuomo, Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Attorney General Letitia James forbidding coronavirus-based regulations on outdoor religious ceremonies.
Sharpe’s ruling said the regulations resulted in the “curtailment of fundamental rights without compelling justification,†especially amid leaders’ support for outdoor protests.
The Thomas More Society, which specializes in religious freedom cases, filed the initial lawsuit against the New York leaders June 12.
“We are pleased that Judge Sharpe was able to see through the sham of Governor Cuomo’s ‘Social Distancing Protocol’ which went right out the window as soon as he and Mayor de Blasio saw a mass protest movement they favored taking to the streets by the thousands,†The Thomas More Society wrote in a press release Friday. “Suddenly, the limit on ‘mass gatherings’ was no longer necessary to ‘save lives.’â€
“Yet they were continuing to ban high school graduations and other outdoor gatherings exceeding a mere 25 people,†the organization continued. “This decision is an important step toward inhibiting the suddenly emerging trend of exercising absolute monarchy on pretext of public health. What this kind of regime really meant in practice is freedom for me, but not for thee.â€
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https://dailycaller.com/2020/06/26/cuomo-de-blasio-judge-coronavirus-outdoor-worship-protests/
