De Blasio scolds NYPD for failing to wear masks while controlling protests: 'It's painful to people because it feels like they're flouting the rules'

In a stunning display of hypocrisy and low self-awareness, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, who himself participated in protests that are themselves a giant violation of the city's COVID-19 guidelines, scolded New York police officers who, according to him, were not wearing masks during the course of controlling the crowds. On at least one of those occasions, as noted by the featured image in this story, de Blasio was not wearing a face mask at all.

According to the New York Post, de Blasio made the comments on Sunday. In the remarks, which were carried on C-SPAN, de Blasio claimed, "We've seen too many officers who just have [masks] off, and it's painful to people because it feels like they're flouting the rules.

The issue of masks and face coverings remains the subject of considerable scientific debate, particularly whether such masks are efficacious and whether they might, in fact, be harmful to people who wear them. What is not the subject of scientific debate is the fact that large gatherings of people who are closely pressed together, such as the protests that de Blasio himself has attended, are a violation of city and state guidelines for controlling the pandemic.

Nonetheless, in his remarks, de Blasio chose to focus on masks.

"Everyone is being asked to wear a face covering. That includes police officers. Now I'll grant you, if you're trying to communicate to a crowd of people, you might have to take off your face covering. If you're in the middle of something where there is a legitimate tactical reason to have your face covering off, if you're drinking water, there are reasons to have a face covering off," de Blasio continued. "We've seen too many officers who just have it off, and it's painful to people because it feels like they're flouting the rules. And we say to all the officers out there, 'I know you have a hard job, but, you know, do unto others.' ... It's just a human decency thing."

One might object, of course, that the rules against large gatherings themselves apply to the mayor, as well as the rules about masks. As shown by photographic proof, de Blasio has attended mass public gatherings and rallies in the middle of the pandemic, including one where he did not appear to have a mask handy at all and certainly was not wearing it while he was up on the stage, even during times when he was not speaking.

George Floyd's Family Attends Memorial Service And March In New York City Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images