NYPD officers attempted to disperse a massive street celebration in Crown Heights on Monday night, prompting indifference and hostility from Orthodox revelers who continued dancing even in the face of police orders.
The stand-off unfolded in the intersection Kingston Avenue and Montgomery Street, where hundreds of Hasidic Brooklynites, many of them unmasked men, had gathered late Monday evening as part of a nightly celebration marking the weeklong Sukkot holiday.
Video from the event shows police officers — including some from the NYPD's Community Affairs Unit — imploring the densely packed crowd to follow state law's intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. "Please get onto the sidewalk," an officer pleads. "You will be allowed to dance on the sidewalk."
The group refuses, and can be seen pushing into the row of cops, jumping in place, singing, and waving flags. A handful of officers begin to shove the observants, but later appear to retreat. Sources said the police left soon after and the event was allowed to continue.
A spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed that there were no arrests made at the scene. The department didn't provide further information about the enforcement effort, including whether any summonses were issued.
The confrontation came hours after the Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state will take the lead in enforcing COVID restrictions in virus hotspots — something he has repeatedly criticized Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD for failing to do.
Cuomo also slapped down the mayor's plan to close non-essential businesses in nine ZIP codes, saying the state would create their own geographic boundaries. The ZIP code that includes Crown Heights is currently on the city's "watch list," meaning that infections are growing, but remain below the 3 percent threshold. Gyms, indoor pools, and indoor dining would also be prohibited in "watch list" areas under the mayor's proposal.
As videos of the altercation spread on social media, several people contrasted the NYPD's relatively light touch in Crown Heights with their far more violent strategy of dispersing Black Lives Matter protesters who've blocked streets in recent weeks.
"No one get arrested, no one got hurt. There was no tear gas, no pepper spray, no billy clubs," noted Ephraim Sherman, an Orthodox resident of Crown Heights. "Those are good things. I’m glad my neighborhood didn’t have violent arrests. That would've happen if they didn’t look like me."
Sherman, who works as a nurse practitioner in a COVID wing and strongly opposed the gathering, told Gothamist that police actually helped barricade the street for a similar celebration on Sunday.
"Last night, the police wised up and didn't want it to happen," he added. "But they blocked the street anyway and, as far I know, the police didn't succeed in breaking them up."
Motti Seligson, director of media at Chabad, which typically hosts the Sukkot celebration, said the annual event was cancelled this year because of the pandemic. He noted that Tuesday's event was unsanctioned, adding that "most people were taken aback by what was organized on that street corner."
Despite the spike in COVID cases in many Orthodox neighborhoods, indoor prayers and celebrations have continued this week. The NYPD wouldn't say how many summonses they've issued for religious celebrations in COVID cluster zones.
Earlier on Monday, roughly 300 school children packed into a Borough Park warehouse to watch a play, a source told Gothamist.
After the FDNY responded to the scene, they alerted the NYPD to overcrowding conditions. Police arrived at the event as it was in progress, but reportedly left without taking further action. According to an NYPD spokesperson, the celebration was allowed because it was "religious in nature and operating at 50% capacity."
