This is not the direction New York should go.

It has been hard not to feel frustrated as protest is being restricted across the country, and now here, in New York State, where proposals to limit where people can gather and speak out are being considered by our state legislature. Lawmakers are weighing so-called buffer zones around houses of worship (S.8599/A.9335) that would give police new authority to control where protest can happen. No surprise here, but this is being framed as a response to hate. In practice, it pushes protest out of public space and makes it harder for people to come together in the moments when community matters most. In a Democratic-majority place like New York, where houses of worship are woven into the everyday life of its cities and towns, these restrictions would not be limited to just a few locations around town. They would quietly reshape entire neighborhoods and narrow what is possible within them. We have already begun to see versions of this play out at the city level. In New York City and Long Island, similar proposals have been met with strong public pushback. People, including ourselves, have spoken out and organized, and that pressure has forced those bills to be watered down, even as they continue to move forward. These examples show that when we are not on the same page as those in power, we can still shift outcomes. But they also show how quickly these kinds of ideas are spreading, often under the banner of safety, while expanding police control over public space. There are already laws protecting people from harm when entering or leaving houses of worship, so it’s clear to us that expanding police authority under this justification is not the answer. This deepens mistrust within communities and shrinks the spaces we all rely on to show up for one another, changing what’s possible for all of us. Communities that already experience overpolicing will feel these impacts first and most acutely. Take a moment to send a message to your New York State leaders and tell them to reject these proposals and protect our right to protest. Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Alliance for Quality Education, please click here.