Masking Up Against the Crime and Policing Act

Under the new Crime and Policing Act 2026, police can declare an area a “mask-free zone” for up to 24 hours around a planned protest, arresting anyone who covers their face “to conceal their identity”. Yet people need to cover their faces for good reason: clinically vulnerable protesters, religious observance, or protection from the far right. This leaves us facing a terrible choice between the risk of arrest and staying off the streets. This workshop will examine what the new laws say about masking, what this means in practice on the streets, and how we can build solidarity to keep each other safer. Copies of Netpol’s new zine, “To Mask is to Care”, will be available.