Court Rules NJ Gov Has Authority To Close Defiant Gym

The New York Post reports:

New Jersey can flex its muscle over a gym that has repeatedly defied the state’s coronavirus orders, a judge ruled Friday. Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration has the authority to close the business, the Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, after it openly flouted the governor’s executive order that they remain shuttered during the pandemic.

Ian Smith, one of the South Jersey gym’s owners, was still defiant after the courtroom loss, posting a video to Facebook saying he would refuse to leave the premises of the business. “We will not back down under any circumstances,” Smith said while wearing a hat that reads “lions not sheep” and a T-shirt bearing the slogan, “Make America Lift Again.”

The screencap above is from a May protest at the gym attended by members of the so-called Three Percenters militia. The protest was aired live by Fox & Friends, who sent host Pete Hegseth to the scene for fawning interviews.