Section 8-602. Civil action to enjoin discriminatory harassment or violence; equitable remedies

a.  Whenever  a  person  interferes  by   threats,  intimidation   or   coercion   or  attempts  to  interfere  by  threats,
  intimidation or coercion with the exercise or enjoyment by any person of
  rights secured by the constitution or laws of  the  United  States,  the
  constitution  or  laws  of this state, or local law of the city and such
  interference or attempted interference is motivated in whole or in  part
  by the victim's actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin,
  gender,  sexual  orientation, age, whether children are, may or would be
  residing  with  such  victim,  marital   status,   partnership   status,
  disability,  or alienage or citizenship status as defined in chapter one
  of this title, the corporation counsel,  at  the  request  of  the  city
  commission  on human rights or on his or her own initiative, may bring a
  civil action on behalf of the city for injunctive and other  appropriate
  equitable relief in order to protect the peaceable exercise or enjoyment
  of the rights secured.
    b.  An action pursuant to subdivision a may be brought in any court of
  competent jurisdiction.
    c. Violation of an order issued pursuant  to  subdivision  a  of  this
  section may be punished by a proceeding for contempt brought pursuant to
  article  nineteen  of  the  judiciary law and, in addition to any relief
  thereunder, a civil penalty may be imposed not  exceeding  ten  thousand
  dollars for each day that the violation continues.