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Court reverses ban on face masks as police battle protesters in Hong Kong

The territory’s highest court ruled that ban on face mask is “incompatible with the basic law.”
The territory’s highest court ruled that ban on face mask is “incompatible with the basic law.”

On Monday, police tighten seize at a university campus where hundreds of anti-government protesters trapped inside sought to escape.

Meanwhile, the territory’s highest court has ruled that a government ban on wearing face masks was “incompatible with the Basic Law” of Hong Kong. The ban was aimed at pro-democracy protesters trying to hide their identity.

The protesters advance on police from the outside cordon whereas some emerge from the campus. Besides, police in some places swopped in to subdue the protest and make arrests. Although it wasn’t clear if any of the protesters from polytechnic University escaped.

Notably, many protesters wear masks to shield their identities from the surveillance camera. The video footage is used as evidence against the protesters. Thus, empower the authorities to make arrests and prosecute them. Importantly, the ban was ignored by the people at large. But police have charged the protesters participating in demonstrations with masks.

Hong Kong’s work week started with multiple violent protests. This has resulted in disrupted traffic. Due to violent protests, schools remained closed. The protesters had some information regarding seizure plan of the polytechnic campus.

The face mask ban came into effect in October. The Chief Executive Carrie Lam invoked the law for the first time in more than 50 years. The ban was largely symbolic in nature. Above all, many demonstrators refuse to comply with the law.

The news comes amidst the weekend of clashes between protesters and police. Above all, the organizers urged protesters to “blossom everywhere” to cause maximum disruption The call has resulted in escalated violence in recent weeks.

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