A massive disturbance broke out at Playland Park in Westchester County, New York, Tuesday when a group of Muslim visitors grew angry over park rules forbidding the use of "headgear" on some of its rides. The headgear, in this instance, was the traditional Muslim head covering -- often called a hijab -- worn by women.
Authorities from allegedly nine different agencies descended on the fun-park after county police responded to the disturbance, which by that time, involved some 30 to 40 people. Local reports indicate some 3,000 Muslim-Americans had gathered at the park.
By 4:30 p.m., nearly two hours after the altercation broke out, some three dozen police cruisers blocked Playland's entrance and a helicopter was seen flying overhead. A reporter allegedly counted roughly 60 cruisers on the scene from various agencies.
According to reports, twelve men and three women were arrested, mostly for disorderly conduct, and two park rangers were injured in the scuffle. So far two have been charged with felony assault after officials asserted they attacked park rangers.
Lohud reports that the group of Muslims were at Playland to celebrate the Islamic holiday of Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The outing was allegedly organized by the Muslim American Society of New York.
Playland spokesman Peter Tartaglia stated that park officials were clear in expressing to MASNY the safety reasons behind the headgear ban but said the rules might not have been communicated by the organizer to some of the attendees. The ban, implemented nearly four years ago, is intended to keep hats and other head coverings from falling onto the tracks and derailing rides. "It's a safety issue on rides. If it's a scarf, you could choke," Tartaglia said.
|