Masked Hong Kong students chant protest slogans at graduation

With banners reading "Free Hong Kong, Revolution Now", students in Hong Kong were seen wearing black masks, chanting slogans at their graduation at the Chinese University on November 7. The Hong Kong government imposed a ban on masks which were defied by the students as they put it on their faces over black graduation gowns in a bid to curb sometimes violent unrest that has rocked the Chinese-ruled city for more than five months. There were about 1,000 students who walked till the ceremony venue, near the New Territories town of Sha Tin, calling for the government to respond to protesters' demands.

Read: Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng Warns Hong Kong Protesters

Protesters donned cartoon masks to defy mask ban

In October, pro-democracy protesters donned cartoon character masks and formed human chains across the semiautonomous Chinese city in defiance of a government ban on face coverings. Many protest supporters masqueraded as Winnie the Pooh or Guy Fawkes, gathering along the city’s subway lines. Winnie the Pooh masks were used because of an earlier joke that Xi Jinping resembled the talking bear. The joke led China’s censors to scrub all online references to the character. Fawkes masks are common in anti-government protests around the world.

Read: Hong Kong: Pro-Beijing Lawmaker Junius Ho Stabbed While Campaigning

Court appeal to lift mask ban was denied

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam banned protesters from wearing masks on October 4. The mask ban was imposed under a colonial-era Emergency Ordinance and applies to unauthorised public gatherings and police-approved protests. A group of pro-democracy Hong Kong legislators earlier filed a legal challenge on October 5 against the government’s use of a colonial-era emergency law to criminalise the wearing of face masks. Two activists failed to obtain a court injunction as the government says have made it tough for police to identify radical protesters. Lawmaker Dennis Kwok said a group of 24 legislators filed a legal appeal to block the anti-mask law on wider constitutional grounds. 

Read: China Defense Chief Defends Policy On Hong Kong, Xinjiang

About Hong Kong Protests

The Hong Kong protesters are against the idea of ‘one country, one system’ which will restrict them from enjoying extensive freedom, not permitted in mainland China. Hong Kong will also lose its freedom to have an independent judiciary and the right to protest. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has warned other nations from interfering, considering it a matter ‘internal affair’. Chinses government has accused other nations of escalating the issue. 

Read: Pro-Beijing Lawmaker Stabbed While Campaigning In Hong Kong

(With agency inputs)