Farage: Ban balaclavas on Britain's streets

Nigel Farage has called for a ban on all full-face coverings in public spaces in the wake of protests by balaclava-clad men over Channel crossings. Writing in The Telegraph, the Reform leader said that face coverings – whether a gang member's balaclava or an Antifa mask – were a "menace" designed to bully and intimidate. He said banning them was necessary because full-face coverings undermined trust and respect in society where people should show their faces to each other. "A modern nation cannot function when groups of people actively opt out of basic civic interaction. Whether motivated by radical political ideologies or fundamentalist religious practices, hiding one's face isolates individuals from the wider community," he said. His comments came after two anti-migrant protests at the weekend. One on Saturday involved more than 200 activists wearing balaclavas and dressed in black who brought the port of Dover to a standstill. On Sunday, activists with balaclavas were among 200 demonstrators who clashed with police in Portsmouth after a dinghy carrying 120 migrants reached Britain from Normandy. They blocked roads in an attempt to prevent the asylum seekers being transported to Manston processing centre in Kent. Citing the Dover demonstrations, Mr Farage said: "Now, I'm all for the protest. Plenty to protest about. But seriously, this is not the way to go about it. "Because let's be clear. Face coverings are a menace. Whether it is a heavy-duty balaclava worn by a gang member or the dark mask of 'Antifa' extremists their purpose is to bully and intimidate." Citing the wider problem of balaclava-clad youths terrorising residents on their e-bikes, the Reform leader said: "We've somehow accepted that seeing masked people in streets is just part of modern Britain. It shouldn't be. "Which is why Reform UK is calling for a ban on all full-face coverings in public spaces. No ifs, no buts. And yes, that includes religious ones too. "Because a free and open society depends fundamentally on trust. That trust is built on a simple, ancient social contract: I show you my face, you show me yours. When you strip that away, the entire fabric of public safety and mutual trust begins to fray." In the past, figures in Reform, including Zia Yusuf, its home affairs spokesman, have suggested banning face coverings including the burka. But Mr Farage's comments appear to be the clearest statement yet that the party would introduce a ban if it won the next election. Mask-free zones Labour's crime and policing act has given police powers to create "mask-free zones", making it a criminal offence for demonstrators to wear or use an item to conceal their identities. They can designate such an area if they believe a protest is taking place, the protest is likely to involve offences being committed and if it is necessary to prevent crimes. Anyone continuing to wear a mask after being asked to remove them by police could face jail for up to a month, a fine of £1,000 or both. Mr Farage anticipated there would be a backlash from civil liberty campaigners. "Doubtless the establishment will throw up its hands in horror. The usual suspects in Westminster will inevitably bleat about civil liberties and personal freedom," he said. "But what about the liberty of the elderly woman afraid to step outside her front door after dark? What about the freedom of small shopkeepers trying to defend their livelihoods against masked looters?" In the Commons, Mike Tapp, a Labour MP and former Home Office minister, urged ministers to "look again at whether the law on face coverings at protests goes far enough". Sarah Jones, the policing minister, replied that the Government and police would learn the lessons from the weekend's protests. "This Government condemns the intimidating and thuggish behaviour shown by some of the protestors this weekend," she said, adding: "Those who cross the line from peaceful protest into illegality will face the full force of the law."