Dennis Kwok Warns Against Anti-mask Law

Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok warned on Friday that using emergency legislation to enact a new anti-mask law would be the beginning of authoritarianism in Hong Kong.

The Executive Council is expected to hold a special meeting on Friday to discuss the proposed ban on people wearing masks during unauthorised protests, aimed at deterring further violence.

But Kwok said that enacting a law without public consultation or Legco scrutiny will deepen divisions in society.

He told RTHK that a political problem required a political solution, and not more laws, guns and arrests.

"We do not want to see further violence," Kwok said.

"We do not want to see further escalation on the streets that both sides will be hurt (by). But the way to go about …resolving this crisis is not by enacting another draconian law because I stress again and again the reason why people are out there is because they are afraid of their freedom – they are afraid of losing their freedom."