The NYC mayor, Democrat Bill de Blasio, has triggered anger on social media by announcing that New Yorkers can now report residents for violating social distancing rules, imposed in the city amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
“When you see a crowd, when you see a line that's not distanced, when you see a supermarket that's too crowded -- anything -- you can report it right away so we can get help there to fix the problem", de Blasio said in a video message posted on his Twitter on Saturday.
The reaction on Twitter has been overwhelming, with netizens calling the act of snitching on fellow residents a form of "tyranny" and noting that some people, including politicians, have been freely breaking the rules.
"Reporting your neighbors for violating "social distancing"? WAKE UP America! This is how tyranny takes hold in the name of 'the public good', a user tweeted.
"You mean places like gyms that stay open so that politicians can work out while violating the very stay-at-home regulations they imposed on the city? Those kind of places?", another user wrote.
Some users rushed to ask where they should report violating the First Amendment, which provides for the freedom of assembly.
"How do I report government officials illegally violating the constitutional right to freely assemble? Oh yes, there was another ammendment that guarantees my right to defend against tyranny. Universal Open Carry is a right", another tweet said.
Other users were also frustrated with the fact that de Blasio himself has violated the quarantine guidelines and provided proof, like pictures of the mayor not wearing a protective mask in public.
Earlier this week, New York Governor Cuomo ordered all state residents to wear face-coverings in public to prevent new infections if unable to comply with the requirement to maintain a social distancing of six feet. He also extended the statewide economic shutdown until 15 May.