Should protesters be allowed to cover their faces?

I used to find it quite unnerving when probation clients would turn up for their appointments wearing balaclavas! We would give them a polite note asking them to remove them when they entered reception (didn't tell them the receptionist was freaking because she thought there was going to be a robbery!).

Courts and offices are a different matter. I would cover my face in a demonstration but not elsewhere.

I cannot afford to have any sort of mark against me or it will prevent me from using my New Zealand residency visa. I am both law abiding and a pacifist so there is no likelihood of my ever doing anything criminal while demonstrating and I have never done so in the past. However, now I feel unable to join a protest march or demonstrate peacefully in case my name/photograph goes on the wrong list and messes up my entire future unfairly. Realist or paranoid? Either way, I'm not taking the risk.

Thanks for the tip, absent! I was vetted by the Home Office upon becoming a tax inspector, and I have never had anything worse than a fine in France for being 7 kms. over the speed limit, so I hope I will be acceptable to the NZ authorities!

Greatnan NZ immigration wants an ACPO (or presumably the French equivalent) check and, if you are already squeaky clean, keep it that way. They can be very fussy,

Yes, I have looked up the different regulations for people living in France - it is quite complicated. I rang the International Pensions Centre in England to ask about having my UK government pensions taxed at source and the young man who answered didn't seem to be able to grasp the fact that I was already non-resident in the UK and would be moving from France to NZ.

Speeding! At your age? Dear dear!

I know - I was driving to Geneva airport and the speed limits changed constantly, so I was flashed doing 62 in a 50 zone which was only about 100 metres long! I wasn't even in a hurry as I always leave hours and hours to get to an airport. Grr.....€90 fine - I could have had several lunches out for that!

Titter!

jeni anyone can be done for speeding, at any age, I'll have you know. Not that I'm specially proud of it, but several years ago I did it twice within seven miles. I had to go on a speed awareness course, as have most of my family.

I've got caught twice.
Once, sheer non-attendance as I was very pleased at something I got at a boot sale - whizzed downhill into Oxford and a camera got me....once I was lost and looking for the right sign back from Wheatley, and ran into a speed trap with policemen, not thinking how fast I was going. Most annoying! So easily done.

Ha! Alie - Thames Valley Police. It was their cameras that got me on a very quiet Sunday morning, going from family in Didcot to the other family in Hampshire.

I would beg to say that I am very surprised I have not been caught speeding. Very very lucky so far!!