Murphy Blasts YouTube Stars' 'Willful Negligence' In Seaside Stop

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy blasted a YouTube group whose appearance led to a crowd of more than a thousand fans and eight arrests in Seaside Heights, calling it "willful negligence" and "irresponsible from top to bottom."

"These so-called influencers need to be taken to task," Murphy said Wednesday during his coronavirus briefing, addressing the appearance by the Nelk Boys, a group of Canadian men who travel the country doing pranks and posting videos of their antics on YouTube. The group has 5.7 million followers. Read more: 8 Arrested As YouTube Stars' Fans Get Unruly In Seaside Heights

The group showed up in Seaside Heights and rented the famed "Jersey Shore" house on Monday, leading to what Murphy called "perhaps our most extreme and eggregious display of knucklehead behavior."

"The scene of hundreds of young people ... crowded around a corner in Seaside Heights, largely unmasked, definitely not social distancing, it's exactly the type of situation we cannot have," Murphy said. "It was irresponsible from top to bottom in every respect."

The night ended with the Nelk Boys kicked out of the house, and with eight arrests of young men ages 18 to 26, mostly on disorderly conduct charges. Seaside Heights Detective Steve Korman said the group was throwing glass bottles and rocks were thrown at police.

Law enforcement from 10 other agencies help Seaside Heights authorities clear out the crowd, an effort that took until midnight, Korman said.

Recent pranks flouting coronavirus pandemic restrictions in Los Angeles, where the group lives, and at Illinois State University, where they threw crowded parties, have prompted YouTube to demonitize the channel, officials said in a Sept. 11 tweet.

"We suspended the NELK channel from the Partner Program because they encouraged large numbers of people to disregard social distancing guidelines, creating a large public health risk," the tweet said, referring to coronavirus pandemic protocols.

Murphy has had harsh words for young people ignoring coronavirus mandates throughout the summer, threatening to close down bars and urging them to stop holding indoor house parties because of spikes in the positivity rate.

Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli on Wednesday said the positivity rates for the 14-to-18 and 19-to-24 age groups are roughly three times the statewide rate. They've also tripled in one month, and eight people under the age of 21 have died in New Jersey.

Murphy said that not only did the people in the crowd put themselves at risk, they also put the police officers who responded from eight neighboring towns at risk.

"They were put in harm's way, particularly when you look at these crowds," Murphy said.

He said Seaside Heights Mayor Tony Vaz and Police Chief Thomas Boyd both were frustrated by the situation as well.

Vaz is "pulling his hair out over what happened," Murphy said.

He urged everyone in attendance to get themselves tested for the coronavirus.

"That kind of gathering is how coronavirus spreads most easily," Murphy said. "Just because you're young and seemingly invincible doesn't mean you actually are or that you can't spread the virus on to someone who may be vulnerable if you yourself are not symptomatic."

"You can have fun," Murphy said. "Be outside. Wear something on your face, and stay 6 feet apart."

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