Hong Kong Halloween protest rally aims to test mask ban
Posted October 31, 2019 5:45 am.
Hong Kong protesters are calling for people to mark Halloween by wearing masks depicting government officials or scary characters.
Authorities are bracing for Thursday night’s rally, which will put to the test a government ban on face coverings at public gatherings introduced this month to help quell the increasingly violent protests now in their fifth month.
There are online calls to wear masks of top leaders including Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Police say they don’t rule out the possibility of violent incidents.
Police say anyone refusing to comply with a request to remove the mask can be fined and jailed for six months, though they also say wearing Halloween masks is allowed as long as there is no violence.
The Associated Press
