The University of California is banning masks in the middle of one of the largest summer COVID surges of the pandemic. Unacceptable.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/19/university-california-gaza-protests-encampment-face-mask-bans?CMP=twt_b-gdnnews

University of California bans encampments and face masks

President of university said policies are for ‘a safe, inclusive climate’ after pro-Palestinian protests swept across US

The Guardian

Here's the list of things banned from University of California.

It says "no person shall wear a mask with the intent of
intimidating any person or group, or for the purpose of evading identification."

Unclear if it includes wearing masks for COVID protection or health reasons.

Source: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25051187-letter-from-president-drake-chancellors-policies-impacting-expressive-activity-003

DocumentCloud

Mask bans are bad even if only targeted to law breakers because they:

- Stigmatize masks and increase harassment of mask wearers

- Let police (who aren't doctors) subjectively decide who can wear a mask for health reasons

- Increase profiling

- Violate first amendment rights

@luckytran
- and help spread disease

- and completely screw us over for the next pandemic

Honestly, it's like there was a fire so now we can't have smoke alarms because their beeping is annoying.

@freequaybuoy @luckytran The problem of selective enforcement and profiling is a big concern. People protesting against whatever the police don’t like will get their masks targeted.
@freequaybuoy @luckytran It's like if schools stopped evacuating for fire alarms because they were afraid kids might try to get out of classes by pulling the alarm.
@freequaybuoy @luckytran
While continuing to screw us over for this pandemic. It’s not as if we’re not in the middle of the biggest Covid surge since 2022.