Masks are Muzzles. UK Protests Mandatory Face Masks

A large group of demonstrators assembled in Hyde Park on Saturday, where they listened to speeches denouncing the government’s anti-coronavirus measures. Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, was among the speakers.

Carrying placards reading “Stop the new normal, save lives,”“Freedom over fear,” and “Masks are muzzles,” the protesters then marched towards Downing Street, stopping outside BBC headquarters along the way.

Footage from RT’s Ruptly video agency shows a huge crowd, most without masks, filling the streets of the UK capital as they marched toward Downing Street.

One demonstrator who spoke with Ruptly said that he had concerns about mandatory face mask rules.

“I used to be a nurse, a mental health nurse, and one of the things we learnt as mental health nurse students is that it is considered battery to forcibly put something on a person’s body without their consent,” he said.

Like many countries, the UK has experienced an uptick in new coronavirus cases. With the highest death toll in Europe, Downing Street has begun to reimpose local lockdowns and other strategies purportedly designed to stop the spread of the virus. There is also wide debate about whether there is a scientific basis for many anti-coronavirus policies. The Dutch government recently announced that it would not advise the public to wear masks, arguing that there is not enough evidence that they are effective.