Politics

The cruelty is the point. It only affects those protesting for good causes anyway -- those protesting in support of their orange Jesus won't have masks anyway.

If you don't have the freedom to cover your face at a political protest, the country you are protesting in is not free.

Oh, and which countries are "free"? I'd like to know which state has liberated all its people. I'll wait.

There is an ongoing pandemic and the global capitalist efforts to downgrade, downplay, and minimise this pandemic for " the economy" mean that it's even more important to mask, not least to challenge the health supremacy and ableism of this current capitalist culture. Masking is one of the most easy yet powerful ways we can promote safety and engage in intersectional anticapitalism (in times of universal deceit, and all that).

Protests are not about "being seen" as individuals to gain clout or appear cool and edgy, not least with the increased assault on the right to protest.

To truly "believe in the cause" is to act, not attract recognition. Besides, if you want a revolution, you'd better start dressing for the occasion.

Tell me, what does showing your face add to the protest, other than making it easier for opposing groups to target you?

This is obviously different in countries that are not free.

So... the US? People are regularly arrested for perfectly legal, not even a shadow of a doubt, activity at protests. And protesters are vulnerable to not just cops, but dangerous actors who support the thing they're protesting against. Whether it's doxing, billionaire-funded slander, your boss not liking the cause, or actual violence, there's plenty of reason not to want your face to be easily identifiable, even while orderly protesting for a just cause. Never mind health concerns like not wanting to catch COVID (or breath tear gas).

The idea that orderly protesting is safe in the United States is incredibly naïve.

I was here. There is no fucking way that I would have shown my face at a Nazi rally. That very night in Eugene the Nazi's were going door to door looking for people to arrest. Of course, the article is saying that it was antifa who instigated... As if a literal Nazi rally isn't instigative of itself.

I kindly disagree that showing your face makes people take you seriously. All it makes you is a target. I think the key factor is what is the protest for, as whether or not I wear a mask depends on what I am protesting. If I'm protesting a hate group or hateful ideology, I am going to keep myself safe. If I am protesting social and environmental issues I generally do not feel the need to.

Also, going to protests is inherently dangerous because peaceful protesters are not treated with peace. In that article I linked, tear gas was fired at us, the peaceful protesters, when the Nazi's were the ones crossing the police lines. Also the police had their back to them the entire time, facing us with their riot shields. I wonder why the cops were protecting the Nazi's at the "far-right" rally. Peaceful protesters against being treated with excessive force being met with excessive force... So honestly, no. Wearing a mask is necessary because you will be targeted and will be followed home.

The thing about peaceful protests is that they are almost impossible, because a peaceful protest is inherently the peaceful protesters dying for their cause by not retaliating. No, I don't think we should allow Nazi's to assault people in walking aides and attempt to stop on them. No, I don't think peaceful protesters who are being attacked by police should just let the cops beat them to death. And even if we did, they would still label us as anything but peaceful protests.

FFS, there's so much evidence of planted and instigated protests, like bricks being thrown by people not part of the protest but claiming that they were. Basically, there's no such thing as a peaceful protest and so wearing a mask should be prioritize for the protesters safety.

Note: any right-wing or conservative protesters disregard this. Show the world who you really are! It's the right thing to do!

All rights are won through violence.

That's because the US is not a free country.