What a nice Guy Fawkes mask you have on. Wouldn’t it be a shame if it made you a criminal?
A new state bill introduced May 22 would make it a crime to wear masks or hoods in most public places, all in the name of public safety.
SB 5941, sponsored by Sen. Jim Honeyford (R-Sunnyside), seeks to control when and where a person may cover their face because of recent actions by organized groups that conceal their identities while committing crimes “under the guise of political protest.”
Anybody wearing a “mask, hood or other device” to hide their face wouldn’t be allowed to walk down the street, be in a waiting room, enter state-owned property nor attend a meeting on private property without written permission from the owner or occupant.
To do so could result in charges of a gross misdemeanor.
Exceptions include religious clothing, holiday costumes, worker safety gear, garments for theatrical productions or Mardi Gras celebrations and sportswear. Youth under 16 are also exempt.
SB 5941 reads like a thinly veiled move against protest groups that stormed Olympia on May 1. Nine officers were injured and nine protesters arrested.
Read the full May 31 issue.
Ashley Archibald is a Staff Reporter covering local government, policy and equity. Have a story idea? She can be can reached at ashleya (at) realchangenews (dot) org. Twitter @AshleyA_RC
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