Austria’s new ban on the burqa claimed an unusual victim — a man dressed in a shark costume. Since October 1, it has been illegal to wear the full-face veil in public, and breaking the law is punishable with a €150 fine. The law extends to other face coverings, including costumes and even people on motorbikes who protect themselves against the wind with a scarf, according to Die Welt.
A man hired to carry out promotional work by electronics store McShark was stopped by police on Friday, Austria’s Heute reported Monday. The officers reportedly asked him to remove the head of his shark costume but he refused, saying “I’m just doing my job.” The man, who has not been identified, later removed the shark head but was still hit with a fine.
Eugen Prosquill from advertising company Warda Network, which had hired the man, told Heute: “I wasn’t aware that the law reaches that far that it also affects mascots.” Halloween events will not be affected by the law, according to Heute.
Source: http://www.politico.eu/article/shark-costume-man-fined-austria-burqa-ban/
