Hong Kong Bans Masks to Suppress Violent Democracy Protesters
- By Brian Padden
The Hong Kong government on Friday banned people from wearing masks at public protests by invoking a British colonial era Emergency Regulations Ordinance that was last used to quell riots in 1967. VOA’s Brian Padden reports the controversial anti-mask law is strongly supported by pro-Beijing elements in the legislature that view the increasingly violent democracy protests as a threat to law and order, while opponents see the measure as a way to deter peaceful dissent.