Boston City Council on Monday held a hearing to entertain a new law that would ban the wearing of masks meant to conceal a person’s identity in public, apparently in response to violence against police by masked protestors during the so-called Straight Pride Parade.

Councilor Timothy McCarthy proposed the ban. The ordinance would ban wearing a “mask, hood or other device” designed to “conceal a portion of one’s identity” on public or private property, though it would not apply to wearers of “traditional holiday costumes," and provide for a variety of professional, medical and religious exemptions, according to McCarthy.

“When does this agenda become a social norm?" McCarthy said at the onset of the hearing. “Let’s get up and exercise our First Amendment rights; grab your duplicate handcuff keys ... I pre-made our trash barrel shields; get ready to scream profanities at the police; get ready to throw cups of urine; get ready to spit at our police; get ready to throw milkshake concoctions full of bleach and who knows what; and don’t forget your mask.”

The legislation appears to be in response to the August 31 Straight Pride Parade, when dozens of counter-protestors were arrested for allegedly committing violence against police.

“Let’s be honest this counter-protest was not a peaceful protest,” McCarthy said.

Other councilors disagreed with the proposed ban.

“When we ... criminalize simple behavior, I worry about how those new laws would be implemented, and whether or not we’ll continue to see communities of color harassed in ways that other communities are not,” said Councilor Kim Janey.

Heads up! It seems as if the Boston City Council is going to hold a hearing on their antidemocratic mask ban on 10/21 at 1PM at City Hall!! We need to get there early to pack the hearing and make our voices heard! pic.twitter.com/LGZr86tkvt — Solidarity Against Hate – Boston (@Bos_Solidarity) October 10, 2019

Many residents dissented; some wearing masks.

“Anonymity in public is legal, not identifying yourself to police at a protest is legal; wearing a mask with the intent of committing violence in public is already illegal under state law," said Alex Marthews, a resident of Belmont, who gave his testimony in a mask. "So let’s be very clear about what we’re considering here. We are only considering ... people wearing masks in public who do not have the intent of committing violence.”