Illegal to wear masks
In New York it is Illegal to wear a mask. This is an issue if you are at a protest and need to wear a gas mask or bandanna to protect your face from gas or smoke. The cops can use it as an excuse to arrest you.
From yahoo:
http://slingshot.tao.ca/displaybi.php?00…
“In 1845, the State of New York passed a law which forbade the wearing of masks. It authorized the pursuit and arrest of anyone who “having his face painted, discolored, covered or concealed, or being otherwise disguised, in a manner calculated to prevent him from being identified, shall appear in any road or public highway, or in any field, lot, wood, or enclosure.” It was originally adopted to thwart armed insurrections by Hudson Valley tenant farmers who dressed and painted themselves as Native Americans to attack law enforcement officers over rent issues. The law was then shelved for most of the 20th Century until 1965, when it was used to criminalize transvestites and drag queens who wore too much make-up for the authorities to bear.
More recently, the law has resurfaced in two contexts: At a KKK rally in 2001 and during the large-scale protests of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in January 2002… (read more)”
http://slingshot.tao.ca/displaybi.php?00…
New York Penal Law § 240.35(4)
http://wings.buffalo.edu/law/bclc/web/Ne…
but…. don’t worry, the police won’t arrest, or cite you unless they feel like it.. that is how the police work. they have the laws in their favor, if they want to harass you , they will. it’s called “selective enforcement”. if it’s for a social/political protest, the mask law becomes a good pretext to go after protesters. if you are wearing masks for a halloween party, then the police won’t do anything.
* 8 months ago
Source(s):
i was with arts in action during the wef in 2002. and was around during rnc 2004.
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