FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2019 file photo, riot police officers beat anti-government protesters near the parliament square, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. Last year, face masks were an act of rebellion, a signature piece of clothing associated with protesters who wore them to protect against tear gas or to conceal their identities from authorities. These same masks are now ubiquitous around the world -- worn by people from China and Iran, to Italy and America, seeking to protect…
March 11, 2020
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The new mask: Wave of global revolt replaced by virus fear
BEIRUT (AP) — As 2019 gave way to 2020 in a cloud of tear gas, and in some cases a hail of bullets, from Hong Kong to Baghdad, from Beirut to Barcelona and Santiago, it seemed civil disobedience and government crackdowns on protests would dominate the international landscape.