This piece originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal on May 21, 2024.
Your editorial “Campus Protesters, Unmasked” (May 13) glosses over the importance of anonymous speech, which the First Amendment protects. The Ohio law that you cite takes a reasonable approach, allowing protesters to wear masks if they obey the law, but imposing stiffer penalties for committing a crime while masked.
While it’s fine to encourage protesters to show “the courage of their convictions” by demonstrating unmasked, not all speakers are courageous, and some would be foolish to speak publicly. For example, Americans with relatives in China who protest the Communist regime should wear masks.
I also note that the Journal solicits anonymous tips for its news reporting, and a recent article reported that the composer of the protest song “Glory to Hong Kong” is anonymous.
