Do you really know? What is the anti-mask movement?
What is the anti-mask movement? Thanks for asking!
Since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, wearing a face covering has become normalised in many places. But an increasing number of people have come out in opposition of making face masks compulsory. Their main argument is that it’s a breach of individual freedom. Some believe that masks aren’t actually effective, and even question the need for other public health measures like social distancing.
Are there really that many anti-maskers out there?
There have been protests across many countries, including the USA, Canada, the UK and Germany. The common message is that forcing citizens to wear face masks is oppressive and anti-democratic. On the 2nd of August, 15,000 protesters gathered in Berlin, brandishing placards and wearing T-shirts with slogans such as: “My health, my choice” and “Resistance”. Some conspiracy theorists believe that the coronavirus was simply invented by the media, or blown out of all proportion. Journalists at the scene reported that many participants were anti-vaccine militants, and members of a far-right group were also present. Germany has so far seen a relatively low total of coronavirus deaths, under 10,000 at the time of recording. But citizens from other harder hit countries are also at the forefront of the anti-mask movement. It all started in the United States, taking on political and ideological connotations. Anti-mask messages sprung up and spread quickly on social media, leading to a number of small protests. Similar scenes were seen in the United Kingdom and Canada over the following summer months.
And we’ve also seen heads of state criticise the use of face masks? And regardless of people’s views, face coverings have been made compulsory in many places. So how are anti-maskers reacting? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!
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