Currently the Conservative government and other police agencies are for this bill as this would definitely make it easier to identify guilty parties in a riot.
With the Vancouver Stanley Cup Riots, Occupy Wall Street Riots, and the Quebec Student Riots as examples, police have become frustrated in being able to identify those who have vandalized or destroyed property, etc. while wearing a mask.
People feel more inclined to commit acts of vandalism or violence if there is sense of anonymity. There is a sense of entitlement that they can protest and do whatever they believe is their right to do. Once the masked rioters arrive, chaos is soon to follow. These rioters take over the protest and the original message becomes lost. These are organized takeovers and those who are protesting are being used to further the rioter's goals.
Politicians and officials can be placed in precarious position of ensuring people’s safety or infringing on people right to assembly and their freedom of speech. How do they ensure the public's safety and or protection of property without infringing on those rights? This is a slippery slope; protecting the public, versus the right of assembly.
On the civil liberties side, there are concerns that the bill is too vague and could be used against peaceful protestors. Micheal Vonn, policy director at the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said that many future demonstrations in British Columbia will revolve around environmental concerns where protesters prize their anonymity in the face of increased governmental scrutiny, referencing what she said was an unprecedented amount of police surveillance of activists in the lead-up to Toronto's 2010 G20 protests.
What people forget is that with every right comes a responsibility with it. If you want to protest then you need to conduct yourself in a civil manner. Rioting should never be an acceptable form of protest. Unless those peacefully protesting are prepared to separate themselves from the rioters, they will lose peoples support and will open themselves up to be arrested.
Yes, it does complicate their ability to peacefully protest but if they are serious about their cause then they need to ensure that it is not taken over by those who would use them (rioters) to further their goals. It is the protesters choice on how their protest is conducted.
If you are not ready or willing to do this, then don’t protest. Taking away the anonymity of the rioters will help deter them from performing vandalism or acts of violence on people and or property.
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