Smokers Protest Ban at Brighton Beach

A group of New Yorkers stormed the beach in Brooklyn for a little surf, sand -- and smoking.

They lit up to protest the city's new outdoor smoking ban, staging a "smoke-in" on the boardwalk of Brooklyn's Brighton Beach.

"This is not about smoking, really," said Audrey Silk, one of the protestors. "It's about civil liberties, and there is no justification for this law, and we have not been able to reason with them. We're left with the last resort."

The ban went into effect Monday, prohibiting smoking at all city parks, beaches, boardwalks and pedestrian plazas.

Smokers who light up in banned areas could face a $50 fine.

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