In the midst of heightened tensions surrounding pro-Palestinian protests, state officials are taking decisive action to curb demonstrations by targeting a seemingly innocuous tool: masks.
State officials are increasingly targeting public mask-wearing through new legislation and prosecutions to curb pro-Palestinian campus protests. Masks help protesters evade facial recognition used by police and campus officials. Protesters face severe repercussions, including arrests, faculty firings, and student suspensions.
Several states are introducing new laws to ban mask-wearing in most situations, while others are reviving old laws to target protesters. Jay Stanley from the ACLU explains that law enforcement wants to identify all protest participants to manage potential violence, but privacy experts argue these measures unjustly target protesters protecting themselves from COVID-19 and doxxing.
The North Carolina Senate recently passed a measure to repeal a pandemic-era law permitting public mask-wearing for health reasons. Similar actions are happening elsewhere:
- A New York City legislator proposed banning face coverings at public assemblies.
- Ohio's attorney general warned university presidents that masked protesters could face felony charges under an old, rarely enforced law.
- University of Florida protesters are facing charges for wearing masks.
Historically, anti-masking laws were created for various reasons, including identifying Ku Klux Klan members.
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