Facing reality

Protesters who cover their faces deserve arrest

Any legislation that proposes giving police more power should be vigorously scrutinized in a free society, to ensure it doesn’t trample upon the civil rights of citizens. A private member’s bill that would make it illegal to hide one’s identity during a riot, is one such piece of legislation. In an odd sort of way, though, the bill would actually protect legitimate protesters against the unfettered powers of police, the likes of which were invoked during the G20 riots. It would strengthen their right to assemble peacefully.

Brought forward by Alberta Conservative MP Blake Richards, the bill proposes giving police the power to arrest anyone who hides their identity during a riot or unlawful assembly. Anyone wearing a mask or disguise could be arrested immediately and charged under the proposed law, which would carry penalties of up to five years in prison or a fine of $5,000.

The penalties seem stiff, but the idea behind the legislation is a good one. Legitimate protesters who carry the courage of their own convictions have no need to hide behind a mask.

Those who feel compelled to stand up for their principles don’t normally conceal their identity. Those who do conceal, are likely there, not to make a point on principle, but to cause trouble and incite a riot.

Take the rising popularity of the black bloc tactic developed in the ’80s, and now a regular fixture of almost every international protest in the past 15 years. Marchers hide behind black clothing, scarves, ski masks or other items, and move as an indistinguishable block. The theory is that the protesters appear as one large mass that promotes solidarity. The reality is anything but. This we saw from the damage caused during the protracted student riots in Quebec, the Stanley Cup riot last spring in Vancouver and the G20 protests two years ago in Toronto. Inevitably one or two members run from the crowd, throw rocks through store windows or torch police cars, and disappear back into the safety of their illegal mob.

The proposed law would give police the ability to arrest these potential troublemakers immediately, before they have time to incite the crowd, as they did during the G20 summit. Back then, black-clad protesters waited for their moment and bided their time over a period of days, before turning what were peaceful demonstrations into violence. They torched police cars, smashed windows and raged through the streets of Toronto.

What followed were emergency powers granted to police, so sweeping anyone could be arrested, detained and searched. Legitimate, law-abiding demonstrators walked right into the legal trap, wrongly believing they were asserting rights they no longer had because the rules so suddenly changed.

The proposed bill would avoid a repeat of that ugly situation, applying only when marchers participate in criminal activity or become violent.

It’s in second reading and has been sent to committee for further study. The sooner it passes, the sooner those engaged in riots can be brought to justice. Legitimate protesters who carry the courage of their own convictions have no need to hide behind a

mask.