Mask Mania Manipulations

By Brent E. Zepke, Esq

Sep 30, 2025

Mask Mania became popular with the protestors after the death of George Floyd when their 575 protests not only did not result in the police identifying any of the “protestors” who committed burglary, arson, and assaults on police and others, but also did not result in any arrests.

Masks are a covering for all or a part of the face, worn as a disguise, or to amuse or terrify other people. Mania is defined as an elevated mood that may include impulsivity and risky behavior.

Mask Mania received a major boost when state governments followed the advice of Dr. Antony Fauci by requiring masks, followed by President Joe Biden extending the mask mandate to governmental employees.

Even after the masks worn by most of us were proven to be ineffective, blue states – such as California – continued and extended their mask mandates. A sadly humorous example was that prior to Covid-19, entering a bank with a mask was prohibited, and anyone wearing such a device was asked to remove it; during the Covid years, masks were required. Same for liquor, jewelry, and other stores.

Covid ended but the impact of mask mania did not, as it is still permissible for someone to enter a bank or other establishment with a mask.

The subsequent Mask Mania had, and is having, a particularly disastrous effect on drugstores.

Masks, and hoodies, have become the preferred attire for those who wish to conceal their identities so law enforcement will not know who they are or where they and/or their families live. “Protestors” learned from the George Floyd riots that wearing a mask was even better than drawing a “get out of jail free” card in Monopoly.

One of the California cities that suffered from masked mobs was San Francisco, which makes me wonder if that why California state senator Scott Wiener, who represents that city, sponsored the legislation entitled, “No Secret Police Act” SB 627.

And why other senators, such as Santa Barbara California state senator Monique Limon voted for it.

SB 627

Did the somewhat euphemistically named “No Secret Police Act” SB 627 prohibit “secret police?”

No.

Did SB 627 prohibit rioters who loot, burglarize, or rob the public from wearing masks?

No.

Did SB 627 protect the public by prohibiting the wearing of masks in banks, or jewelry stores, such as happened at Heller Jewelry Store in San Ramon on September 21, 2025, or in drug or other stores?

No.

Did SB 627 prohibit the wearing of masks on public transportation or on the streets, as those were worn in the 575 “protests” after George Floyd’s death, or as are now being worn by Antifa as its minions attack the Federal building in Portland that houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)?

No.

Did SB 627 protect the agents of ICE who are experiencing a 1,000% increase in attacks, perhaps by the very criminals they are trying to deport?

No.

Did SB 627 protect the ICE agent, and his family from the three women who, on August 28, followed an unmasked ICE agent home from his office in L.A. and broadcast his home address with the message, “Come on down”?

No.

What did SB 627 do?

SB 627 requires that law enforcement officers enable others to learn their identities, including names that will enable them to also locate where they live with their families.

How?

Key Provisions of SB 627:

Prohibition on Masked Law Enforcement: It makes it a crime for federal, state, and local law enforcement officers to cover their faces with masks or other facial coverings during official duties.

“Facial covering” means any opaque mask, garment, helmet, or other item that conceals or obscures the facial identity of an individual, including, but not limited to, a balaclava, tactical mask, gator, ski mask, and any similar type of facial covering or face-shielding item.”

Exceptions:

The bill includes specific, limited exceptions for:

Undercover operations.
Medical needs, such as using an N95 or surgical mask or breathing apparatuses to protect from toxins or gas .
Tactical operations, such as those by SWAT teams.
Protecting against inclement weather or for underwater operations.
Required Agency Policies: Law enforcement agencies are required to publicly post written policies that limit the use of facial coverings.
Identification Requirements: The bill also affirms legislative intent to require officers to be identified on their uniforms with their name or badge number.

A Real Life Example

On September 22, Masked Antifa terrorists surrounded a federal building in Eugene, Oregon, trapping U.S. Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents inside, while pounding on the doors and windows.

If this happens in California after January 1, 2026, who would have violated SB 627?

• Not any protestors, as SB 627 does not apply to them

• Not Antifa terrorists, as SB 627 does not apply to organizations such as Antifa, or BLM, even when they are looting or robbing a store

• ICE agents may be charged with violating SB 627 if they wear masks while trying to escape from potential kidnappers (which is the act of holding someone captive.) However, the charge will probably be dismissed because the State of California lacks jurisdiction over the attire of federal employees.

• State or local police – to the extent they show up – if they are not wearing masks unless they meet one of the exceptions.

Note that in the above example law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, have an additional weapon provided by President Trump when he signed, on September 21, 2025, an Executive Order that reads, in part “Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law. It uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals.”

Does anyone believe that SB 627 protects Californians by asserting that it provides for “No Secret Police,” or is its merely a complete waste of time (paid for by taxpayers, naturally) and an egregious example of “mask mania”?

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