French protesters wear surgical and FFP2 masks despite gear bans
Protesters in France are wearing surgical and FFP2 masks to protect themselves from tear gas and to conceal their faces at demonstrations. Prefects have banned protective gear at protests, but the Council of State has ruled that the ban does not extend to surgical and FFP2 masks, according to The Conversation. The report also recalls that in March 2020 the French government said there was no risk of a mask shortage, even though a decree reserved mask stocks for health professionals. Sibeth Ndiaye, then a government spokesperson, explained at the time that wearing a mask required precise technical gestures and that she could not use one.
Key facts
- The French government had a strategic supply of one billion surgical masks and 700 million FFP2 masks in 2009-2010.
- By early 2020 only 117 million surgical masks remained in French government stock.
- Mask use was first mandated in French middle and high schools at the start of the 2020 school year.
- The mask requirement was extended to French elementary schools in November.
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Why it matters
The ruling clarifies which face coverings remain permitted at French protests, a question that bears on policing and public order.
What changed
First published from The Conversation