Canada bans masks during demonstrations

Fuente:

http://www.davidicke.com/headlines/74846-canada-bans-masks-during-demonstrations

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/11/01/269888/canada-bans-masks-during-demonstrations/

Información:

Canada bans masks during demonstrations

Protesters wear masks as they demonstrate against student tuition hikes in downtown Montreal, Quebec. (File photo)

Thu Nov 1, 2012 10:36AM GMT

9

20

 

7

 

Canada’s parliament has approved a bill that prohibits people from hiding their faces during unlawful gatherings and punishes the violators with up to ten years behind bars.

The Canadian House of Commons adopted the measure after the majority of lawmakers voted for the bill, which will be sent to the Senate.

The government says the law will target radical groups who often wear masks while rampaging through the streets. However it won’t apply to those attending peaceful protests.

Opposition lawmakers have disapproved the measure, calling it unnecessary since the criminal code already sets punitive measures.

“The police already have all the tools that they need. We saw that in Quebec,” said Tom Mulcair, the leader of the New Democratic Party, on Wednesday.

“It’s a game that the Conservatives keep playing. We look at it we realize what they’re up to, this is part of their so-called ‘law and order’ agenda - it’s nothing of the sort. It’s just constant sops to their Reform party base - we’re going to vote against it, we know the Criminal Code is sufficiently clear on this, we know the police have the tools they need, we’re not going to be a part of that.”

Meanwhile, Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae said the bill had broad implications.

“I don’t think people understand the implications that it has -- when does wearing a toque low on your face become a mask?” Rae said on Wednesday.

“Are we going to ban people from appearing in a protest because they are wearing a burka? Are we going to say that on a cold day people can’t wear a mask?”

YH/HSN