Opponents of a face mask ban made two arguments, Mr. Tsang said. They warned that a ban on masks could prompt more people to take to the streets and lead to more violence. Mrs. Lam’s use of emergency powers allowed her to bypass the legislature, and underlines how her government and the police force may have run out of ways to restore order without limiting some civic freedoms. The measure alarmed some observers who feared she might exercise other emergency powers such as imposing curfews, muzzling the press, deporting foreigners and suspending various democratic rights. “For the international community, any kind of emergency powers will send warning bells,” said Simon Young, a professor at the University of Hong Kong Law School.

Source: International New York Times October 04, 2019 06:13 UTC