The city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada will not mandate masks inside city buildings and will “strongly encourage” people to wear them instead. This is a bold move as many cities across the globe have mandatory mask measures in place.
The proposal by Counc. Sarah Kirby-Yung, which would have required masks inside city buildings, was opposed by more than a dozen speakers who pleaded with the city council to vote against it.
“Please consider our forefathers fought for our freedom, and if we release that choice, it’s the first step towards a dictatorship,” said one speaker according to City News. “Masks are used as weapons and they have certainly been used as weapons against me and others to silence and marginalize us and it’s not fair.”
According to Coun. Christine Boyle, public health experts encourage wearing masks, but a mandatory policy is not needed.
This recent decision echoes the thoughts of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. He offers an interesting perspective to the forced “authoritarian measures” that multiple governments are taking.
Read More: Vancouver Council Votes Against Mandatory Mask Mandate: They’re Not Required
