In the Tyrol, six charges were filed because of people wearing “winter clothing”, while a number of Asian tourists were requested to remove their smog masks at Vienna’s Schwechat airport.
An Austrian ban on full-face coverings introduced as part of an “integration” policy aimed at limiting the visibility of orthodox Islam in public life has been criticised by police after it emerged that the law has mainly resulted in the issuing of warnings against people wearing smog masks, skiing gear and animal costumes.
Figures published by the weekly news magazine Profil on Monday show that 29 charges citing the “anti-face-veiling act” have been filed with police since the law came into force in October 2017.
Research shows that only four of these charges concerned a face being covered by a veil all of which were levelled at the same woman.
In other instances, police issued warnings against people covering their faces with scarves, skiing masks or animal costumes.
Source: The Guardian
