Masks off at G8 protest

[Skilly]

Masks off at G8 protest: rally leader

CBC News

Protesters at a Halifax rally who cover their faces will be asked to take the masks off, says an organizer of the event on the eve of a meeting of G8 development ministers.

"When people conceal their identities, media attention focuses on them rather than on the point of the protest itself," said Kyle Buott, president of the Halifax-Dartmouth and District Labour Council and a key organizer of the rally.

"Anyone showing up at [Sunday's] demonstration wearing a mask or bandana covering their face will be asked to take it off."

According to the Criminal Code, wearing a mask is a crime only during the commission of another crime.

"This is the decision that the organizing committee has taken — we are going to be engaging with folks who show up at the rally to make a political argument about why that's not an appropriate tactic," said Buott, who wants to make sure the group's critique of G8 policies in the developing world is heard. The ministers from the G8 countries open a three-day meeting in Halifax on Monday.

Staff Sgt. Barb Saunders said Halifax police support the organizers' position against masks. "That's a great step forward," she said. "When someone is masked it certainly conceals their identity, which makes it difficult to identify them if they're breaking the law."

Police said they will be ready in case the gathering turns unruly. They also plan to hand out pamphlets to protesters that outline their rights and the violations of the law that typically arise during demonstrations.