Hong Kong bans face masks after months of protests

Ms Lam appealed that “we all say no to violence”
Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam has used a colonial-era emergency law to ban face masks after months of angry protests.

The measure was announced on Friday, after the city saw widespread violence on 1 October, the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China.

Ms Lam said the violence was “destroying the city” and authorities could not “just leave the situation to get worse and worse.”The ban comes into effect on Saturday.But observers say the regulation will be hard to enforce and will be hugely controversial.

Activists were already marching on Friday afternoon, as the ban was being announced, calling on supporters to wear masks in defiance of the government.

Secretary for Security John Lee said the ban would apply for approved and unapproved public assemblies – rallies and marches – as well as in unlawful assemblies and riots.

The ban covers all kinds of facial covering including face paint.

There are exemptions for people wearing masks for health reasons, or if required by their profession.Ms Lam said “violence had been escalating to alarming levels” leading to a situation of “chaos and panic” in the city.The ban targets all manners of facial coverings

What is the Emergency Regulations Ordinance?
The legislation invoked by Ms Lam, called the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, dates to 1922 and has not been used in more than 50 years.

It enables the chief executive to bypass the normal legislative process, when a bill would have to go through the city’s parliament, the Legislative Council.The ERO was last used in 1967 to help stop violent riots in the territory’s trading hub.

Ms Lam stressed the new regulation did not mean that Hong Kong was in a state of emergency. But she said the city was “in a state of serious public danger”.Protesters have often worn face masks to hide their identity

Hong Kong’s protests started in June, sparked by proposals to extradite suspected criminals to mainland China.The extradition bill has since been cancelled but protests have widened into pro-democracy and anti-police demonstrations.

Over the months, clashes between police and activists have become increasingly violent. On Tuesday, police shot a protester with a live bullet for the first time.Authorities said the 18-year-old, who was arrested after being shot, was in a stable condition in hospital.

Hong Kong is a former British colony handed back to China in 1997.

It has a “one country, two systems” agreement that guarantees it some autonomy, and its people certain freedoms.