• Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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    3 months ago

    This is obviously different in countries that are not free.

    So… the US? People are regularly arrested for perfectly legal, not even a shadow of a doubt, activity at protests. And protesters are vulnerable to not just cops, but dangerous actors who support the thing they’re protesting against. Whether it’s doxing, billionaire-funded slander, your boss not liking the cause, or actual violence, there’s plenty of reason not to want your face to be easily identifiable, even while orderly protesting for a just cause. Never mind health concerns like not wanting to catch COVID (or breath tear gas).

    The idea that orderly protesting is safe in the United States is incredibly naïve.

    • stoy@lemmy.zip
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      3 months ago

      At this point in time, I do not see the US as a free country in this context.

      • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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        3 months ago

        This is a story about protests and mask bans in the US and non-governmental actors can still be a threat to protesters in a “free” country.