Pro-Palestinian protester wearing keffiyeh charged with violating New York face mask ban

Man was arrested during protest in front of Orthodox synagogue near borough of Queens

A pro-Palestinian protester wearing a keffiyeh scarf has been charged with violating a suburban New York City county's new law banning face masks in public, reviving fears from opponents that the statute is being used to diminish free speech rights.

Police said the 26-year-old North Bellmore resident was arrested on Sunday afternoon during a protest in front of Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, an Orthodox synagogue near the New York City borough of Queens.