Maybe there's an argument for making masks illegal at protests (even though it doesn't feel right) - but 10 years in prison just for showing up at a protest with a mask?! What's the penalty for actually vandalizing a store with a mask during a protest then? 30 years?
This penalty makes me think that it's just the government really not wanting people to protest, and trying to restrict protests as much as possible. The "western" governments are seeing what's happening in other countries and how easily revolutions could start now, so they are working on ways to limit protests and drastically punish protesters as soon as they show up for one, to try and prevent future such protests in their countries, too.
Too bad they don't realize that this will only make people increasingly angrier with their governments over time, and they're just asking for a violent revolution if they do that. The more they deny their citizens peaceful protests, and the more they back them into a corner, the more the citizens will feel like they have no choice but respond with violence at a mass protest (especially if there's police brutality). They're asking for it. Good democracies allow protests for a reason, but I think when certain politicians get to power, they forget why.
Will this have any practical effect on the protests? Haven't the authorities already declared that protesters are engaged in illegal activity, so what's one more act of civil disobedience?
Also, aren't the "masks" worn by many of the protesters the kind of thing that's often worn in Asia for hygiene and pollution reasons, so this would ban even innocent behavior?
I recently read an article in which protesters were fined thousands of dollars for violating "health codes". A country who cannot allow protest is no free country at all.
I'm sure the fact that protests are outside with the majority participants likely being mask wearers based on their affiliations also added to the risk calc.
In Germany? “Some people in the crowd started to mask their faces“ is THE excuse for authorities to stop protests. You cannot seriously argue this doesn’t happen at e.g. 1st of May protests.
When the US inevitably does turn into an authoritarian dictatorship, I think people would be happy if there wasn't copious amounts of proof they were on the streets protesting.
I should add: In all of the streams and pictures I've seen, all (most?) the looters or violent people were wearing masks, ensuring their anonymity. If anybody's being protected by measures like this, it's your average peaceful protestor.
the police and courts have the ability to impose bans on individuals returning to protests and re-offending. They could quite easily say "if you participate in another protest where a road is blocked in the next 12 months, we'll hand you a 1 month jail sentence".
For some reason this isn't being used, and they just let people go again and again, and they always return a few days later. Well, actually, they DO issue these restrictions, but don't follow up with actual punishment. Boggles the brain. You take a handful of grandmas and stick them in actual, factual jail for a month, see how many people return to protest next time.
that is precisely the sort of group i was protesting with, hence why i was attacked, and i had no need to hide my face because we were not doing anything illegal
and the US is not nazi germany or the ccp. if it were, face blur filters would be the least of your concerns. this only makes sense in the context of conducting illegal activity in a lawful democracy
The thing is, there are often protests, where a majority wants to protest peaceful, but a handful of radicals want to escalate which they sometimes manage.
Now when you only wanted to demonstrate, but are now in the middle of a clash with various things flying around, it should not be illegal, to protect your head.
Protests are a legal part of the system as a blow-off valve to let average citizens get rid of their rage. It's there to keep the status quo. It makes no difference without force behind it. As long as the opposing view doesn't feel endangered it is working for them and against the average citizen. As soon as it makes a difference it is no longer protests but a rebellion, which most who will protest doesn't have the stomach for.
This penalty makes me think that it's just the government really not wanting people to protest, and trying to restrict protests as much as possible. The "western" governments are seeing what's happening in other countries and how easily revolutions could start now, so they are working on ways to limit protests and drastically punish protesters as soon as they show up for one, to try and prevent future such protests in their countries, too.
Too bad they don't realize that this will only make people increasingly angrier with their governments over time, and they're just asking for a violent revolution if they do that. The more they deny their citizens peaceful protests, and the more they back them into a corner, the more the citizens will feel like they have no choice but respond with violence at a mass protest (especially if there's police brutality). They're asking for it. Good democracies allow protests for a reason, but I think when certain politicians get to power, they forget why.
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