The man behind the mask

Power in Numbers

A mob mentality can be a very powerful thing. One of the most powerful of all mobs is when a protest turns to a riot. Protests have a tendency to turn from signs and chants to homemade bombs and riot shields. The violence behind the riots usually stems from only a few extreme individuals, but seems to influence the majority into engaging in the violence. I find it funny how individuals who are in a protest can so easily adopt the philosophy that if everyone else is doing it, it must be okay. Isn't that one of  the most cliché sayings we hear from teachers and parents alike? "If they jumped off a bridge, would you jump off to?' How easily individuals in a riot seem to forget what they were taught as children. However, the Canadian government may have just made it a little more difficult for rioters to turn to violence so easily.

Off come the masks

Photo credit: Artur Coelho

The House of Commons just voted to implement a bill that bans rioters from wearing masks, among other things. The goal of the ban on masks is to allow police to determine those individuals who are breaking the law and place the appropriate charges on them. Presumably by eliminating masks from riots it will deter individuals from escalating their protests to violent levels. You would have to assume most individuals would think twice about committing a crime if they thought they were going to get caught. The mask of a rioter serves as a confidence booster and provides them with a sense of untouchability. Wearing a mask gives a rioter the belief they can commit crimes without dealing with the consequences. Hopefully this bill will reduce the number of violent conflicts that develop from protests or at the very least increase the number of rioters who have to deal the consequences of their actions.

Don't get me wrong I support individuals attempting to have their voice herd. I believe it's important to stand up for what you believe in and a good protest can be one of the most effective ways to show people how important an issue is. The larger the better, and greater numbers make a protest appear more intimidating and powerful. Although I may support a good protest I just don't think that because a large group of individuals can be powerful means that they have the right to become violent and cause serious damage to public and personal property.  I believe the new bill passed will help reduce the amount of individuals who use riots as an excuse to commit crimes under the pretence that they won't be caught. In my mind that is a good thing for our society.