The federal government will support the private bill C-309 aiming at prohibiting wearing mask during a demonstration, said in the beginning of May the Minister for Justice, Rob Nicholson. Accoring to the minister the Provisions of the Law on the dissimulation the identity would institute two new infringements to the criminal Code, that is to say to take part in a riot while carrying a mask ; while being trying to dissimulate its identity ; to take part in an illegal assembly while carrying a mask and trying to dissimulate its identity.
The maximum sentence or trial for this infringement would be five years and six months of imprisonment or a maximum fine of 5000 $ per declaration of culpability. “The acts of violence and of vandalism cause damage at the community and should not be tolerated”, indicated Mr. Nicholson.
The preserving deputy from Alberta, Blake Richards, had filed in the C-309 bill with the at the House of Communs last April. The deputy ensured that there are sufficiently legal exemptions included in the bill to protect the religious rights or the people covering the face for medical reasons. According to Blake Richards a deputy in the Harper government, «This law will be used to prevent peaceful demonstrations from turning into violent riot», he indicated. «I believe that will have a dissuasive and preventive effect.»
Let us recall that the Tremblay administration in Montreal last March condemn the mark during students demonstrations. In France and in the United Kingdom, laws prohibiting the wearing of masks lasting a demonstration were recently adopted.
