Fight Beaks Out at Rye Playland Over Muslim Headscarves: MyFoxNY.com
The ensuing confrontation - involving a total of as many as 40 people - resulted in the arrest of 15, all of whom seem to have been part of a large event organized by the Muslim American Society, NY [source, Police arrest 15 at Playland in dispute over Muslim headwear http://www.lohud.com/article/20110830/NEWS02/110830004/Police-arrest-15-Playland-dispute-over-Muslim-headwear?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|Frontpage].
Two park rangers were reportedly injured.
The melee broke out when several Hijab wearing Muslim women were told that any sort of headgear had to be removed in the interest of safety before they could board the rides.
Park officials were adamant that the "no head covering" policy was thoroughly explained before the day of the event to its organizers as one of the required ground rules, " Parks officials "painstakingly" told the organizer about the headgear ban." [source, ibid]
The rules were instituted as part of a safety crackdown after a series of fatalities had taken place at the park in previous years.
Muslim pressure groups are said to be "investigating" the circumstances which led to the scuffle. So far there have been no mention of lawsuits, though given the history of such incidents in the past, it would not be uncharacteristic to see them eventually filed. Video shot during the fracas featured numerous individuals claiming discrimination and police brutality.
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