5 ms·

In Canada, it’s now illegal to hide your face during a protest (a gift from the Harper years)

beached_whale 7y ago
Yet to be tried in court, I think. I suspect, that unless someone is using a facial covering to hide their face while breaking the law, it would probably be found against the charter. One does not need to identify law abiding citizens and protesting is very protected expression. Not a lawyer though, so I speak with little authority on the topic.
numakerg 7y ago
Bill C-309 is the law in question [1]. It should only affect "unlawful" assemblies, but I'd be interested to see what the functional criteria are, how much warning is appropriate, and whether a protest's status can be changed retroactively. >Harper years The Liberals were also supporters of this bill, including the current Prime Minister.
schlowmo 7y ago
Unfortunately this is already illegal in some other western countries for quite some time. In Germany for example since 1985 (one year late though). It's often used as legitimation when the police is using violence against otherwise peaceful protests. In the aftermath of the G20 summit in Hamburg there were some advancements to even tighten the law while at the same time the police was using illegal face recognition software.
- petre 7y ago
  What about fake beards and moustaches? I've heard they're the norm in Korea. Imagine thousands of Santa Claus or Paul von Hindenburg protesting.
  - raxxorrax 7y ago
    Illegal surveillance technology deployed warrants illegal masks in my opinion. But you should also hide eyes, ears and nose to the highest degree as possible. But even then advanced image processing will probably be able to identify you if you are already on record in some form.
  - DonHopkins 7y ago
    Alas, maybe if everyone at the Women's March on Washington wore fake beards and moustaches instead of pink pussy hats, they would have been taken more seriously.
radicsge 7y ago
In the solidarity protests for HK in Vancouver almost everybody wears them for obvious reason. Would be interesting if Canadian police require to remove them...
benjymo 7y ago
In Austria it's illegal to wear a face mask if it's not cold enough or for special cultural activities that are "tradition" thanks to the last right wing - far right government.
- selimthegrim 7y ago
  I.e. Krampus?

Yet to be tried in court, I think. I suspect, that unless someone is using a facial covering to hide their face while breaking the law, it would probably be found against the charter. One does not need to identify law abiding citizens and protesting is very protected expression. Not a lawyer though, so I speak with little authority on the topic.

numakerg 7y ago

Bill C-309 is the law in question [1]. It should only affect "unlawful" assemblies, but I'd be interested to see what the functional criteria are, how much warning is appropriate, and whether a protest's status can be changed retroactively. >Harper years The Liberals were also supporters of this bill, including the current Prime Minister.

schlowmo 7y ago

Unfortunately this is already illegal in some other western countries for quite some time. In Germany for example since 1985 (one year late though). It's often used as legitimation when the police is using violence against otherwise peaceful protests. In the aftermath of the G20 summit in Hamburg there were some advancements to even tighten the law while at the same time the police was using illegal face recognition software.

petre 7y ago
What about fake beards and moustaches? I've heard they're the norm in Korea. Imagine thousands of Santa Claus or Paul von Hindenburg protesting.
- raxxorrax 7y ago
  Illegal surveillance technology deployed warrants illegal masks in my opinion. But you should also hide eyes, ears and nose to the highest degree as possible. But even then advanced image processing will probably be able to identify you if you are already on record in some form.
- DonHopkins 7y ago
  Alas, maybe if everyone at the Women's March on Washington wore fake beards and moustaches instead of pink pussy hats, they would have been taken more seriously.

radicsge 7y ago

In the solidarity protests for HK in Vancouver almost everybody wears them for obvious reason. Would be interesting if Canadian police require to remove them...

benjymo 7y ago

In Austria it's illegal to wear a face mask if it's not cold enough or for special cultural activities that are "tradition" thanks to the last right wing - far right government.

selimthegrim 7y ago
I.e. Krampus?