
Wearing a mask at an illegal protest is now a crime in Canada - precisioncoder
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/06/19/pol-mask-bill-royal-assent.html
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kybernetyk
In Germany wearing masks (and protective gear) to even legal protests is
outlawed, too. Though you get 'only' max 1 year and not 10 years for doing so.
For the riot police it's inverse: They don't have to be uniquely identifiable
[2].

I personally don't think that such laws should exist in democratic systems.

[1]
[http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermummungsverbot](http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermummungsverbot)
(in german) [2]
[http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennzeichnungspflicht_für_Poliz...](http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennzeichnungspflicht_für_Polizisten)
(german)

~~~
Svip
The same is true in Denmark, although I don't recall anyone being charged for
doing so.

~~~
rvschuilenburg
Same in Holland.

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mtgx
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.

~~~
rosser
_Too bad they don 't realize that this will only make people increasingly
angrier..._

I'm pretty sure that people who propose and enact laws like this genuinely
believe they'll cause people to change their behavior, and that the people
whose behavior it won't change _should be locked up, anyway._

It's the same kind of fantasy as believing that DRM actually has a meaningful
impact on piracy.

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ck2
So it's already an "illegal" protest? They could make all protesting illegal
and then they've got the population headed towards 3 felonies a day.

Fun fact: Canada has two oil pipeline spills a day, minimum. Just don't
protest it.

Sometimes I wonder if we are exporting our legal and political insanity up
there.

Does Canada have a "right to assembly" like we supposedly (but not actually)
do in the US ?

~~~
huhtenberg
> Fun fact

Source?

~~~
ck2
Many sources, here is one

[http://globalnews.ca/news/571494/introduction-37-years-of-
oi...](http://globalnews.ca/news/571494/introduction-37-years-of-oil-spills-
in-alberta/)

------
personlurking
If everyone driving down a highway is going above the speed limit, are they
all doing the wrong thing? Do they all risk being singled out by the highway
patrol?

If everyone wears a mask, or at least the majority, can those being singled
out for wearing one use some sort of argument that everyone was wearing one?
At what point does a "lawful protest" become an "illegal riot" because if the
former turns into the latter all of a sudden, can you argue your way out of
it?

In any event, seems as ridiculous as charging illegal downloaders hundreds of
thousands, rather than something reasonable, for downloading an album, or
what-have-you.

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ommunist
Welcome to the real world, Neo. Shall they arrest kids during the carnival in
Montreal? Or this ruling applies only to those who struggle against
corruption, oppression and tyranny?

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mercurial
I assume there is the same system as in the US and it's a way for the
prosecutor to twist the arm of the accused into a guilty plea in exchange for
a reduced sentence?

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andyjohnson0
Anyone with relevant knowledge care to comment on what constitutes an
"unlawful assembly" in Canada? Are assemblies of people lawful or unlawful by
default?

~~~
andyjohnson0
According to this [1] CBC article:

 _An unlawful assembly is any gathering that incites fear in a neighbourhood.
According to the Criminal Code, it’s “an assembly of three or more persons
who, with intent to carry out any common purpose, assemble in such a manner or
so conduct themselves when they are assembled as to cause persons in the
neighbourhood of the assembly to fear, on reasonable grounds, that they will
disturb the peace tumultuously.”

A riot is simply defined as, “an unlawful assembly that has begun to disturb
the peace tumultuously.”_

[1] [http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2012/05/14/f-mask-riot-
law.html](http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2012/05/14/f-mask-riot-law.html)

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stedaniels
This is really bad. I wonder how the maximum sentence compares to the maximum
sentence for actual serious crime in Canada? Can anyone dig that up?

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trgraglia
So if the police are wearing masks at a protest, are they too committing the
crime?

~~~
Myrth
I think it should be obvious, but it is up to state prosecutors to decide who
they want to prosecute, they're not legally required to do so.

But some people think that there's the same law for everyone.

The real state shareholders are multinationals and military-industrial
complex.

The board's (government) responsibility is to the real shareholders and not to
the product (people).

The state creates environment (just enough freedom, plenty of entertainment)
for the product so it will not spoil (revolt).

Some people think that the there are democratically elected representatives
and president. It is semantically valid, but does not serve the purpose
implied by most people.

1\. It is very easy to be white and fluffy before the elections, and turn
around right after (and what are you going to do about it?)

2\. There's no real choice anyway.

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ommunist
A motion proposed. Let's all protests in Canada considered legal!

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rl3
Time to break out the wigs, face paint and glasses?

~~~
ck2
Just use Groucho Glasses?
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groucho_glasses](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groucho_glasses)

[https://www.google.com/search?q=Groucho+glasses&prmdo=1&gbv=...](https://www.google.com/search?q=Groucho+glasses&prmdo=1&gbv=1&source=lnms&tbm=isch)

~~~
rl3
I don't know, those may constitute a mask.

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ChrisAntaki
Agent provocateur's often wear masks.

