Masked protest can turn into criminal offense in HK

Following the so called Mong Kok riot – a celebration of the Year of the Monkey that turned into a night of mayhem – some Hong Kong lawmakers urged the government to introduce an anti-
mask law.
As depicted in the images aired endlessly by Hong Kong TV stations, many Hong Kongers suspected of stirring up violence had concealed their faces with masks, goggles, hats and various articles of clothing, so as to not be identified by authorities.
The neighboring region’s police had to deploy a special team to analyze the surveillance footage and identify the rioters. Police also released pictures of the masked suspects, seeking the public’s help to identify them.
The fact that protesters in Hong Kong are masking themselves to avoid legal responsibilities has raised red flags in the region’s political leadership.
Following the Mong Kok incident, pro-
establishment lawmaker Elizabeth Quat, a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, urged the government to introduce a new law “like in Germany, Austria, Canada and the States, to ban protesters from wearing masks.”
The South China Morning Post reported that several countries have introduced similar laws. In some cases, those laws are over 100-years-old:
“An anti-mask law in the United States can be traced to 1845, when tenant farmers wore disguises to attack law enforcement officials. In 1965, the law in some states was updated to prevent masked gatherings of two or more people, except in the case of masquerade parties. Canada approved a bill in 2013 that forbids people from covering their face during a riot or unlawful assembly. The offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. Germany and France passed such regulations in 1985 and 2010, respectively,” the article read. PB