Global fears of the masks, and what's behind them

The Guy Fawkes mask, made famous by the 2005 movie “V for Vendetta” by Andy and Lana Wachovski, has become an international symbol of anarchism and revolution. It is also an emblem of the hacktivist group Anonymous. 

From the 15M movement in Spain, to the Occupy movement in the US and many other groups in the Arab Spring uprising and beyond, the mask has become what the “V for Vendetta” comic’s illustrator David Lloyd described as a “placard to use in protest against tyranny.”

In some Middle East countries, governments were so concerned about protesters wearing the mask, they issued a ban on it. 

The United Arab Emirates prohibited the mask in November – police issuing a warning that wearing it, especially on or before the UAE’s National Day on December 2, would be a crime symbolising resistance to state authority. 

Bahrain became the second Gulf state to outlaw the masks in February. The Industry and Commerce Ministry of Bahrain also banned importing the mask, which it referred to as a “revolution mask” due to concerns over “public safety”. Anyone trying to get around this ban could, potentially, be arrested.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of the Interior ordered last week the immediate confiscation and destruction, and prohibited the import and sale, of all Guy Fawkes masks. Its authorities claimed the masks promoted “a culture of violence and extremism,” and “encouraged young people to breach security and spread chaos in society.”

Last November, Canada’s House of Commons approved a bill that banned citizens from hiding their faces or wearing masks during disturbances – in response to last year’s Stanley Cup Riots in Vancouver where masked vandals smashed and set fire to the city after the team lost to the Boston Bruins. However, the bill does not apply to law-abiding protesters at peaceful demonstrations.

Back to Thailand: At first glance, it seemed the masks were being used by anti-Thaksin groups as a gimmick to draw attention. However, one week later, the Guy Fawkes white mask campaign gained more support from people and finally they came out to rally on the streets last weekend. The rally ended peacefully.

The government at first played down the mask campaign saying it would not have any impact or get public backing or become popular – but in the meantime the ruling Pheu Thai party, through spokesman Prompong Nopparit, threatened to take legal action against the Guy Fawkes-mask phenomenon. 

A report on the Matichon website last week, after mainstream media stories of the masked groups, interviewed a shop vendor who sells the Guy Fawkes masks for collection or as toys. 

The vendor said the mask had become a hot item after news about it broke out. Recently, he failed to fulfil an order for 5,000 masks he’d asked to be delivered to Sanam Luang. The order was supposed to have been used in a rally by the Thai Patriotic Front, which was demanding the Pheu Thai-led government resign.

It remains to be seen how long Guy Fawkes will stay in Thai politics. But hopefully, the Thai government will not be overly worried about the power of the mask and try to quell the ongoing protests in the country by following in the Gulf states’ footsteps.