Supreme Court overturns pandemic restrictions on religious gatherings in New York | Disrn:
In a 5-4 ruling late Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked attendance restrictions on houses of worship imposed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The restrictions, set by Cuomo on October 6, color coded areas in New York City experiencing high rates of positive COVID-19 tests. Religious services in “red” areas were capped at 10 people, with less affected areas being capped at 25 people.
The high court sided with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and two Orthodox Jewish congregations that said the restrictions were a violation of the First Amendment.
The ruling was the first significant case for Trump appointee Amy Coney Barrett, who sided with the majority. Bush appointee Justice John Roberts – who has drawn repeated criticism from conservatives for siding with liberal members of the court on key rulings – joined the three liberal justices in the minority.
“Numerical capacity limits of 10 and 25 people, depending on the applicable zone, do seem unduly restrictive,” wrote Roberts for the minority opinion. “It is not necessary, however, for us to rule on that serious and difficult question at this time.”The sweep of the protests and their wide support by citizens of all political stripes has shocked Macron’s government. In the last few days, Paris saw the worst anti-government riot since 1968, French students set fires outside high schools to protest a new university application system, small business owners blocked roads to protest high taxes, and retirees marched to protest the president’s perceived elitism.