Published 15:23 IST, November 18th 2019
Hong Kong High Court rules ban on face masks unconstitutional
The High Court of Hong Kong has come up with a verdict on November 18 that states ban on face masks is unconstitutional that protestors use to hide identity.
The High Court of Hong Kong on November 18 ruled the ban on face masks unconstitutional. The law had been revived from emergency legislation dating back to the British colonial era. Despite the ban, protestors were seen wearing the masks many times over the last few weeks.
"The restrictions it imposes on fundamental rights go further than is reasonably necessary [...] and therefore fail to meet the proportionality test," the court said in a press statement.
The ruling comes as a blow to the government which is still struggling to control the month-long violent protests in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's executive leader Carrie Lam in October incorporated rarely used emergency powers and banned people from wearing face masks during public assemblies. On the other hand, many protestors defied the ban and continued protests wearing face masks.
Violence escalates
Meanwhile, violence escalated on Sunday with protestors shooting arrows and pelting petrol bombs and bricks. On the other hand, police countered them with firing tear gas. A riot police officer sustained injuries after being shot in the leg with an arrow.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus became a battlefield as the police stormed into the varsity held by pro-democracy protestors on Monday. According to the reports, the police tried to enter the university campus in full force that protestors had held for several days. A few protestors were arrested by the police at the outer edges of a barricade protecting the university. They soon pulled back after a group of students put the barricades on fire and hurled dozens of petrol bombs at the police.
Clash between police and protestors
Earlier, the riot police in Hong Kong batted with the pro-democracy protestors at different varsity campuses and brought to a halt the city's upscale business hub on November 12. It is considered to be one of the most violent phases of unrest seen in more than five months of widespread protests. The recent violence sparked since Monday when a police officer shot a protestor on Monday and a man was set on fire in the neighboring district. The universities present in the city emerged as battlefields throughout Tuesday, November 12 with sustained clashes at major campuses for the first time. The main violence erupted from the Chinese University of Hong Kong where the usual grounds were turned into a battlefield.
Updated 17:45 IST, November 18th 2019