No More Masked Protesters
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mico replied on Mon Jan 19, 2009 @ 2:25am |
 Coolness: 151385 | But ban could violate rights, lawyer warns
By DAVID JOHNSTON, The GazetteJanuary 19, 2009 1:00 AM The city of Montreal says it plans to pass a bylaw forbidding people to wear masks or face coverings at public demonstrations - a bylaw that civil-rights experts say could turn out to be unconstitutional. Montreal police have asked the city for the bylaw, saying they want to be able to identify participants in violent protests. However, Montreal's top elected official in charge of public security said yesterday the city will be careful to make sure the bylaw's language isn't vague, and that explicit exceptions are granted. For example, protesters would be allowed to cover their faces for religious reasons, and during cold winter events, said Claude Dauphin, chairperson of the public-security committee and a member of city council's executive committee. Dauphin added in a telephone interview that senior brass of the Montreal police made a pitch for such a bylaw during testimony two months ago at the city's public-security committee. The proposed bylaw was approved in principle by the executive committee on Friday. It could be ready for submission to city council as early as Jan. 26, Dauphin said, but the actual wording hasn't been finalized. Julius Grey, a Montreal lawyer who is an authority on civil-rights issues, said the bylaw could be ruled unconstitutional if the wording is too vague, or is seen as unreasonable. "I do not exclude the possibility of preventing masks and disguises in certain particular circumstances, on good security grounds, case by case," Grey said. But a vaguely worded bylaw would not be able to withstand a serious legal challenge, he said. Dauphin said the city is well aware that there are legal reasons to be careful with the bylaw's wording. He said city lawyers are studying existing bylaws prohibiting facial concealment that have been passed in Trois Rivières and Quebec City. There are no similar bylaws in the rest of Canada, Dauphin said. In the United States, New York City has had such a ban since 1845 ; it was upheld in 2004. In Germany last year, at least four people were arrested for violating a temporary ban on face masks during the G8 summit. Samer Majzoub, executive director of the Canadian Muslim Forum, said he is pleased to learn the new bylaw was conceived two months ago, and therefore has no apparent link with last weekend's rally downtown against the Israeli military action in the Gaza strip. "We have very good relations with the police and after last weekend's rally, we asked them if they had any comments or suggestions for us, and they said no, everything was okay," Majzoub said. He added: "We don't cover our faces at our demonstrations, neither the men nor women." However, Majzoub said he has noticed that many Quebecers have embraced the Palestinian koufieh, or scarf, as a fashion accessory; he has seen local young people on TV at public demonstrations with the koufieh covering their faces. Dauphin said police have spoken to the city mainly about ski masks - not koufiehs - and more pointedly about the behaviour of demonstrators wearing ski masks at rallies that have been organized against alleged police brutality. "At these events you see kids in ski masks throwing golf balls at police, or carrying big two-by-four wood sticks," Dauphin said. In North America and Europe, young masked demonstrators have usually been linked with the political left wing or with anarchist movements. In Quebec, masked demonstrators showed up at some Liberal Party events during last fall's provincial election campaign. |
| I'm feeling cool right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Mon Jan 19, 2009 @ 2:33am |
 Coolness: 686515 | Good! If you're gonna protest something, be proud of your position and what you stand for. If you're going to a protest to start shit and be violent, you deserve to be caught by the cops and beaten silly. |
| I'm feeling your norks right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mico replied on Mon Jan 19, 2009 @ 3:01am |
| Coolness: 151385 | I can understand the Police's position on the matter, but I personally believe we have the right to express our discontent anonymously. Not everyone who wears a mask is a part of the Black Bloc. |
| I'm feeling cool right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» nothingnopenope replied on Mon Jan 19, 2009 @ 5:26pm |
 Coolness: 202150 | They can either ban it for everyone or STFU.. If they are allowing for religious reasons they have to allow for ALL. Otherwise I claim my mask is due to being a "pastafarian" |
| I'm feeling over 9000 right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» basdini replied on Mon Jan 19, 2009 @ 8:04pm |
 Coolness: 146125 | what about that group anonymous who protest scientology they where masks from that movie "V for vendetta"
 |
| I'm feeling surly right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mico replied on Mon Jan 19, 2009 @ 8:07pm |
| Coolness: 151385 | And for good reason, too. |
| I'm feeling cool right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» nothingnopenope replied on Mon Jan 19, 2009 @ 9:42pm |
| Coolness: 202150 | yeah what if you ARE PROTESTING A RELIGION! |
| I'm feeling over 9000 right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» ApR1zM replied on Tue Jan 20, 2009 @ 7:57am |
 Coolness: 165725 | what if you are protesting about the right to wear a mask? |
| I'm feeling failling pailing right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» databoy replied on Tue Jan 20, 2009 @ 11:31am |
 Coolness: 107040 | Gotta hold a protest on Halloween. Update » databoy wrote on Tue Jan 20, 2009 @ 12:36pm Does that mean the cops arent allowed to wear masks also?
That would be fair. |
| I'm feeling love right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» ApR1zM replied on Tue Jan 20, 2009 @ 4:02pm |
| Coolness: 165725 | cops dont need mask they all look alike anyways :P
too bad they arent wearing the stash anymore ! IT WENT MAINSTREAM |
| I'm feeling failling pailing right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» databoy replied on Tue Jan 20, 2009 @ 5:09pm |
| Coolness: 107040 | No gas masks means no pepper spray. |
| I'm feeling love right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mico replied on Fri Feb 20, 2009 @ 11:23pm |
| Coolness: 151385 | City delays controversial mask vote
Municipal officials Friday withdrew a controversial bylaw that would ban masks or face coverings at public demonstrations from the agenda of an upcoming council meeting. A vote on the bylaw was to have been held next Monday. The bylaw had been given its first reading at a council meeting in late January. The proposal has triggered considerable opposition from advocates of free expression -- and a coalition opposing the bylaw had scheduled an afternoon press conference today to underline their objections. The city wants "to examine certain aspects of the proposal in greater depth," according to a three-paragraph press release. More details to come. [ www.montrealgazette.com ] |
| I'm feeling cool right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Gamos replied on Fri Feb 20, 2009 @ 11:56pm |
 Coolness: 94420 | i liked it more when you posted graffiti |
| I'm feeling apathetic right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mico replied on Sat Feb 21, 2009 @ 12:13am |
| Coolness: 151385 | Sorry for not meeting your expectations. |
| I'm feeling cool right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Gamos replied on Sat Feb 21, 2009 @ 1:09am |
| Coolness: 94420 | sometimes sorry doesn't cut it |
| I'm feeling apathetic right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» karma.millie replied on Sun Feb 22, 2009 @ 5:38pm |
 Coolness: 39210 | Originally Posted By MICO
Julius Grey, a Montreal lawyer who is an authority on civil-rights issues, said the bylaw could be ruled unconstitutional if the wording is too vague, or is seen as unreasonable. "I do not exclude the possibility of preventing masks and disguises in certain particular circumstances, on good security grounds, case by case," Grey said. But a vaguely worded bylaw would not be able to withstand a serious legal challenge, he said. Lol I actually work for Julius and we recieve AT LEAST a call a day from journalists on this case |
| I'm feeling horny and headache right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» DynV replied on Sun Mar 15, 2009 @ 10:47pm |
 Coolness: 109730 | Illegal or not I'll continue masking myself while protesting and if caught violating any law, I'd fight it against my personal belief that my political affiliation should remain personal ; having the slightest chance of my face being publicized then affecting my professional life is unacceptable, to me it's like having a vote result publication to a lesser degree. As long as there's professional discretion of employers, there needs to be personal protections. Even if police found an extraordinary mean so that proterter's faces would only be know to them, there's many cases of police pressure, on the brink or harassment, on protesters ; this alone is a reason enough to hide from them.
On another side, it's uncanny how many cases of dropped accusations against police targets, like protesters. I doubt, and hope, that judges cares about police (thus city) interests ; to me this shows legal bullying, another reason not to trust the police. Originally Posted By SCREWHEAD
If you're going to a protest to start shit and be violent, you deserve to be caught by the cops and beaten silly. I can't believe you, or anyone, is encouraging police brutality ; punishment is to be dealt by extremely well trained and skilled people called judges. I really hope that was a joke. |
| I'm feeling lucky that my countr right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Mon Mar 16, 2009 @ 12:26am |
| Coolness: 686515 | Originally Posted By DYNV
I can't believe you, or anyone, is encouraging police brutality ; punishment is to be dealt by extremely well trained and skilled people called judges. I really hope that was a joke. I think you should try this wonderful new thing; it's called "reading". If you go to a protest to START SHIT AND BE VIOLENT, I absolutely support cops beating your ass, mask or no mask. You reap what you sow. |
| I'm feeling your norks right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» DynV replied on Mon Mar 16, 2009 @ 1:24am |
| Coolness: 109730 | Originally Posted By SCREWHEAD
I think you should try this wonderful new thing; it's called "reading". If you go to a protest to START SHIT AND BE VIOLENT, I absolutely support cops beating your ass, mask or no mask. You reap what you sow. I WRITE IN CAPITALS, THEREFORE I MAKE A STATEMENT ! Also I make witty combacks that show my intellectual superiority. I won't waste any further time arguing with someone, to stay polite, that promotes violence, including police. |
| I'm feeling lucky that my countr right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mico replied on Mon Mar 16, 2009 @ 1:33am |
| Coolness: 151385 | Originally Posted By DYNV
I WRITE IN CAPITALS, THEREFORE I MAKE A STATEMENT ! Also I make witty combacks that show my intellectual superiority. I won't waste any further time arguing with someone, to stay polite, that promotes violence, including police. Despite the fact that I disagree with Fred, I think he was simply typing in caps to put emphasis on what he said in a previous post. No need to make witty comebacks that show your intellectual superiority. |
| I'm feeling cool right now.. | |
No More Masked Protesters
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