But far more disturbing than the mask’s use for police is its popularity with protesters. Usually, the masked people are violent “anarchists” accompanying peaceful protesters. At the recent riots at UC Berkeley, these self-described anarchists, their pockets full of rocks and bricks, smashed plate-glass windows on campus and in downtown Berkeley. Their vandalism was intense and made worldwide news.
The Sacramento Bee, “Masked men in public are OK, but burkas are not; what’s up with that?”
