Wearing a mask at a protest? That's a 10 year prison term

[rubecube]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...al-assent.html

God, 2015 can't come fast enough. Reactionary governments are the worst. The good news is that I highly doubt this survives a charter challenge. The bad news is, that still means a number of people are still going to spend some unecessary time in jail.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by rubecube

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...al-assent.html

God, 2015 can't come fast enough. Reactionary governments are the worst. The good news is that I highly doubt this survives a charter challenge. The bad news is, that still means a number of people are still going to spend some unecessary time in jail.

So to sum up the Conservatives stance on crime, growing pot plants and wearing masks at protests are worse offences than raping kids. That's some real fine governing, Steve.

The problem is that some people that to protests go to raising ####. I have no problem with peaceful protesters wearing masks, but you also get the #######s that want to fight/burn/damage property wearing them aswell.

[burn_this_city]

I thought this only applied to riots or illegal protests?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I thought this only applied to riots or illegal protests?

It looks like you have to break the law while wearing a mask.

http://parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/...804538&File=19

http://parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/...&DocId=5804538

So mask is fine while being lawful. Mask while breaking the law....not fine.

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

It looks like you have to break the law while wearing a mask.

http://parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/...804538&File=19

http://parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/...&DocId=5804538

So mask is fine while being lawful. Mask while breaking the law....not fine.

But is not dispersing quickly enough when the cops decide they've had enough considered breaking the law?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by rubecube

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...al-assent.html

God, 2015 can't come fast enough. Reactionary governments are the worst. The good news is that I highly doubt this survives a charter challenge. The bad news is, that still means a number of people are still going to spend some unecessary time in jail.

So to sum up the Conservatives stance on crime, growing pot plants and wearing masks at protests are worse offences than raping kids. That's some real fine governing, Steve.

Bit of an over reaction by you, considering it has to be during a unlawful assembly or during a riot.

After seeing these idiot anarchists wearing masks and causing damage during protests and basically taking away any credibility of the protest, I'm on board with a prison term, preferably with hard labor thrown in.

Besides anyone who wears a Guy Fawkes mask should be beaten around the head and shoulders with a 60 day old diaper.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

But is not dispersing quickly enough when the cops decide they've had enough considered breaking the law?

I have no idea, I suspect the courts will sort that out.

I do know that burning stuff, and smashing windows is breaking the law.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I thought this only applied to riots or illegal protests?

It does.

I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand it's another tool to go after people who attend these protests in disguise simply because they are there to incite a riot, but there's already a criminal code provision dealing with wearing a disguise while committing a criminal act so this may be unnecessary. On the other hand, I get why even peaceful protestors may want to hide their faces (unpopular with your employer for instance) and those people could easily find themselves in an unexpected riot due to the actions of others.

The whole "wearing masks at protests are worse offences than raping kids" reasoning is pretty ridiculous. The maximum penalty for "raping kids" is much longer than 10 years, and I doubt anyone convicted under this will get the maximum sentence.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by valo403

It does.

I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand it's another tool to go after people who attend these protests in disguise simply because they are there to incite a riot, but there's already a criminal code provision dealing with wearing a disguise while committing a criminal act so this may be unnecessary. On the other hand, I get why even peaceful protestors may want to hide their faces (unpopular with your employer for instance) and those people could easily find themselves in an unexpected riot due to the actions of others.

The whole "wearing masks at protests are worse offences than raping kids" reasoning is pretty ridiculous. The maximum penalty for "raping kids" is much longer than 10 years, and I doubt anyone convicted under this will get the maximum sentence.

What section?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by valo403

It does.

I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand it's another tool to go after people who attend these protests in disguise simply because they are there to incite a riot, but there's already a criminal code provision dealing with wearing a disguise while committing a criminal act so this may be unnecessary. On the other hand, I get why even peaceful protestors may want to hide their faces (unpopular with your employer for instance) and those people could easily find themselves in an unexpected riot due to the actions of others.

The whole "wearing masks at protests are worse offences than raping kids" reasoning is pretty ridiculous. The maximum penalty for "raping kids" is much longer than 10 years, and I doubt anyone convicted under this will get the maximum sentence.

I was going to green text that last part but I just removed it instead. I realize it's a max vs. min thing.

On the other hand, I get why even peaceful protestors may want to hide their faces (unpopular with your employer for instance) and those people could easily find themselves in an unexpected riot due to the actions of others.

This is where I have an issue with it. Several of the comments I've seen have also asked why it's then okay for riot police to remove their identification and cover their faces.

EDIT: I'd also have to ask what qualifies as an illegal protest and if police can just subjectively determine one as such, arrest people, and ask questions later.

[NuclearPizzaMan]

There was already a law about hiding your identity while committing a crime that carried a similar sentence. This is just more pointless nonsense so that the conservatives can pretend they are tough on crime will ignoring the hard issues.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by NuclearPizzaMan

There was already a law about hiding your identity while committing a crime that carried a similar sentence. This is just more pointless nonsense so that the conservatives can pretend they are tough on crime will ignoring the hard issues.

I don't know. I think there's a legitimate intimidation factor here. What happens if a protest starts off peaceful, and then turns nasty? Is everyone wearing a mask immediately deemed a criminal?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by rubecube

This is where I have an issue with it. Several of the comments I've seen have also asked why it's then okay for riot police to remove their identification and cover their faces.

If I was getting beat with a baton or maced unnecessarily, I'd personally want to get a photo and video of the idiot cop that did it (or even better - in the act of doing it). And it's usually the social media crowd that can help identify these people. Too many times have cops used overbearing force on protestors, and I can look no further than Brazil as the latest example.

That said, if a protester is doing something illegal, then they shouldn't be able to cover their face either.

[dissentowner]

I don't know about Alberta but here in Ontario the government needs to build more prisons and hire more officers if they are going to continue taking the hard on crime stance. They keep slashing the budgets for police services and corrections and are closing some correctional facilities but are demanding judges hand out tougher sentences and giving more jail time and it just not working. Look at Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre in London, they are cramming 4 people in a one person cell there and the prisoners are damaging the property and rioting because of the conditions.

[jar_e]

If your protesting something, don't you believe so strongly about it that you're out there chanting and beating your drums....but you don't want to show your face? Errrrrr. If you believe in it, show your face. If not, it just reeks of black bloc tactics.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by rubecube

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...al-assent.html

God, 2015 can't come fast enough. Reactionary governments are the worst. The good news is that I highly doubt this survives a charter challenge. The bad news is, that still means a number of people are still going to spend some unecessary time in jail.

Originally Posted by NuclearPizzaMan

There was already a law about hiding your identity while committing a crime that carried a similar sentence. This is just more pointless nonsense so that the conservatives can pretend they are tough on crime will ignoring the hard issues.

I love how the Anti-Harper at all costs crew have come up with two awesome reasons to hate Harper over this:

1) This is the horrible Harper government cracking down so they can arrest and imprison whoever they want
2) This it the horrible Harper government not doing a darn thing, and just duplicating existing laws so they can seem tough on crime and ignore other issues

[Ozy_Flame]

This is going to get really ambiguous for protests in January.

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I don't know. I think there's a legitimate intimidation factor here. What happens if a protest starts off peaceful, and then turns nasty? Is everyone wearing a mask immediately deemed a criminal?

Don't wear a mask - pretty simple

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

I love how the Anti-Harper at all costs crew have come up with two awesome reasons to hate Harper over this:

1) This is the horrible Harper government cracking down so they can arrest and imprison whoever they want
2) This it the horrible Harper government not doing a darn thing, and just duplicating existing laws so they can seem tough on crime and ignore other issues

I don't get this. Are you trying to say that two different posters posting two different viewpoints are somehow self-contradictory?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

Don't wear a mask - pretty simple

As valo pointed out, there are numerous reasons why a protester might choose to conceal their identity, none of which are illegal. Your logic is right in line with the "Cops should be able to search at will because only guilty people have something to hide" crowd.