2 protesters charged in 1st use of Hong Kong's new mask ban
October 07, 2019  10:58
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Two protesters were charged on Monday with violating Hong Kong's new ban on wearing masks at rallies, a move likely to add to a backlash that has thrown the semi-autonomous Chinese territory into deeper crisis.
  
An 18-year-old student and a 38-year-old unemployed woman were the first to be prosecuted under the ban, which came into force Saturday under sweeping emergency powers aimed at quashing violence in the protests for more democratic freedoms.

Detained early on Saturday shortly after the ban took effect, the two were also charged with taking part in unlawful assembly, which carries a heavier penalty of up to five years in jail. 

A conviction under the mask ban is punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine. They were both released on bail pending trial.

Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters
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