The ban has had no effect on the protesters. Thousands of Hong Kong protesters marched on the streets of the city on Sunday (October 6th) with most of the subway stations shut down two days after widespread vandalism.
For its part, the justice of the former British colony has rejected an appeal filed by pro-democracy members of the Legislative Council (LegCo), the local parliament, against the government's decision to invoke an emergency law to ban protesters to hide their faces.
It is this measure announced Friday by the head of the executive Carrie Lam, this time, set fire to the powder and led to an evening of violence and degrading targeted especially against MTR, the company managing the metro of Hong Kong accused of playing the game in Beijing.
At a time when the Hong Kong High Court dismissed the opposition leaders' appeal against the executive's decision on Sunday, two new unauthorized demonstrations began in the pouring rain. One in the central districts of Hong Kong Island. The second on the other side of the bay, on the Kowloon peninsula.
Rush on open stores
Hong Kong has been going through its worst political crisis for four months, with almost daily demonstrations denouncing the decline in freedoms and the growing control of the Chinese government over the affairs of its semi-autonomous region, and also demanding democratic reforms.
While the metros had not circulated Saturday, MTR said that 45 stations were open Sunday, but that 48 remain closed in areas particularly affected by the dispute, including the tourist areas of the center.
The city of 7.5 million people is extremely dependent on its subway, one of the most efficient in the world, which normally carries four million passengers a day.
Hence the Sunday puzzle for users, who stormed buses and taxis.
Also rare in an agglomeration drugged shopping, several supermarket chains and shopping centers were closed, pushing residents to rush on the few stores open to make reservations.
On Saturday, thousands of protesters took part in unauthorized actions and flashmobs in various parts of the city.
Carrie Lam's emergency law of 1922, a time when Hong Kong was a British colony, had not been used since 1967.
"Very dark future"
It allows the executive to take "any measure", without a green light from the legislature, in the event of an emergency or danger to the population.
Carrie Lam used it to prohibit the wearing of the mask by the demonstrators, who use it to conceal their identity and guard against legal proceedings but also protect themselves from tear gas. But the ban has had no effect on the protesters.
The ban was hailed by Beijing, but beyond the issue of the mask, the opposition and protesters see the premise of an authoritarian drift.
"I believe this is one of the most important constitutional issues in Hong Kong's history," MP Dennis Kwok told reporters on Sunday before the High Court ruled. "If this emergency law is validated, the future of Hong Kong will be very dark".
With AFP