‘Suddenly, a Jewish rave!’ Orthodox Jews face off with police in NYC’s Crown Heights

Ultra Orthodox revellers were embroiled in clashes with police in New York’s Crown Heights district during street parties celebrating the Jewish Sukkot holiday.

Eyewitness video showed drive-by Simchas Beis Hashoeva parties being held in the neighborhood from 7pm every night of the festival, which lasts until October 9. 

However, there were ugly scenes overnight as revellers engaged in more close-quarters partying than the city’s coronavirus rules allow for, prompting intervention from the NYPD which was met with fierce resistance from locals, as seen in eyewitness video.

The area is one of 10 ZIP codes where Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed a partial coronavirus lockdown due to a recent spike in cases, with Crown Heights added to a watchlist by health officials last week.  

De Blasio sought to close down nine ZIP codes, shutting non-essential businesses and dine-in service at restaurants. However, only some schools will close for now, as the mayor was overruled by Governor Andrew Cuomo, who instead called for greater enforcement of coronavirus restrictions already in place.

Crown Heights currently has an infection rate of 2.06 percent, though areas such as Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach and Sheepshead Bay have a rate as high as 3.95 percent. New York city has recorded over 460,000 Covid-19 cases and over 25,000 deaths from the disease since March.

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