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Did Muslim "Flash Mob" Cause Rye Playland Headscarf Melee?
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Sep 7, 2011
Modified Sep 7, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Sep 7, 2011
Modified Sep 7, 2011
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Last week, Rye's Playland amusement park turned into Altamont bemusement park when police wielded batons and arrested 15 following an altercation between a park employee and a Muslim woman who was turned away from a ride because of her headscarf. Now, Westchester's Public Safety Commissioner George Longworth says that the situation escalated because of "a phenomenon that law enforcement has experienced across the country called flash mobs, where groups tend to gather rapidly because of texting." Uh, we don't recall seeing any skulls crushed at Darren Criss's flash mobs.
While there have been violent flash mobs involving several thousand people, authorities told the Daily News that the crowd swelled from "25 to 100 in five or six minutes" after a woman was denied entry at a ride due to Playland's headgear restrictions. Authorities from nine different law enforcement agencies showed up in response to the incident. Longworth tells LoHud, "I have viewed extensive video related to the whole thing. I've seen nothing inappropriate. I think our troops did a very professional job that day."
The head of the Muslim American Society of New York, who organized the event which 3,000 Muslims attended in celebration of the end of Ramadan, said of the police's response, "I think it's a little beyond what anyone would have wanted to happen." Those who wanted refunds got them, and several attorneys have contacted Westchester County warning them of potential lawsuits. Why would they sue? They just experienced Playland's new interactive ride, The Krazy Koncussion.
Fight Beaks Out at Rye Playland Over Muslim Headscarves: MyFoxNY.com
Tagged
batons
muslim headscarfs
playland
police brutality
Ramadan
rye
westchester county
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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