Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, is demanding a total ban on face coverings in public, calling them a "menace" to society with nothing to do with valid political protest and everything to do with bullying, intimidation and crime. He has stated that any ban must absolutely include the burka and the niqab.
Masked protests condemned as un-British
Writing in the Daily Express, Paul Baldwin argues that the UK is becoming "a nation of cowards," with today's protesters too often slinking around like vermin, sneaky, sly, and anonymous. He describes it as "the age of the masked protester, an angry but spineless animal, with neither the courage nor the decency to stand by their beliefs."
Baldwin calls the practice an unwelcome foreign import with roots in the Middle East and north Africa, where it has been commonplace for decades. He blames "the numpty Left" for embracing it as the bespoke uniform of the modern protester, saying it lets little boys feel "badass" for a few hours.
He notes that the far right has also adopted it, citing anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth over the weekend where hundreds of fully-masked black-clad thugs, many linked to Daniel Thomas' Patriot Platform, attempted to stop coaches carrying illegal migrants.
Historical protests without masks
Baldwin points out that masks were absent from historic British protests, including the Cable Street march, the Jarrow March, the miners' strike, the Poll Tax riots, the 1983 CND rally, the Countryside March in 2002, and the Stop the War demo in 2003. He argues that whether one agreed with those protesters or thought they were nuts is irrelevant, as their commitment to their cause was open and honest.
Farage said: "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."
Burka ban and security concerns
Baldwin supports including the burka and niqab in any ban, questioning why a person gets a bye from following laws the rest of us have to because of a special dispensation from a man who lives in the sky. He notes that many European nations, including France, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and Norway, have all clamped down on face coverings, including the burka.
He highlights practical and potentially deadly concerns, citing the failed 21/7 attacks in 2005 when terrorist Yassin Omar fled the capital disguised in a full-length black burka after attempting to bomb a London Underground train. The 6ft 2in fugitive even shaved his arms and carried a handbag as he travelled by coach to Birmingham. Eight years later, terror suspect Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed similarly evaded surveillance after entering a west London mosque in Western clothes and emerging concealed beneath a burka.
As Farage said, a ban is a ban, no special pleading, no religious exclusions. Or as the Reform boss put it more simply - "a ban, no ifs or buts".
