《禁蒙面法》本月5日起實施，保安局長李家超曾承諾記者工作仍受保障，香港記者協會主席楊健興今早（9日）接受港台節目訪問時稱，記協至今接獲共3宗傳媒投訴，有記者在催淚煙中被警員粗暴地強行扯甩面罩，批評做法不文明，對此表示強烈不滿。他說，記者在現場已有一段時間，惟至警方開始拘捕時、傳媒想拍攝卻被要求查證，被阻礙採訪工作。
刑事總部高級警司吳卓衡昨午（8日）表示，新例實施只有數天，需要時間磨合。楊健興表明，記者不需要磨合，他們其實只是個別在做需要做的事，李家超亦清楚說明《禁蒙面法》不會影響傳媒採訪，責任在於前線警員應被告知，記者採訪時可戴面罩。
傳媒在昨日警方例行記者會上當場提出質問及要求道歉，警方狡辯稱法例無寫明記者可獲豁免，拒絕道歉。
記協昨向律政司司長鄭若驊、保安局局長李家超及警務處處長盧偉聰發出律師信指出，《禁止蒙面規例》規定，在集會或遊行中正在從事專業或受僱工作，為人身安全而使用蒙面物品屬合理辯解。李家超在上周五記者會上已明確表示，記者符合有關豁免條款。記協認為，警方近日經常使用催淚彈或其他含有毒的物質武器，採訪公眾活動的記者為保障自身安全，有合理辯解戴防毒面具或其他合適的面罩。
當局應向警員發出指引，不應要求正在執行合法採訪的記者除去面罩。若有警員要核實記者身份，應先出示委任證及除去本身面罩，讓記者可核實警員身份。而當警員查核身份後，記者有權重新戴上面罩。
Chris Yeung, Chairman of Hong Kong Journalists’ Association, has complained that the security chief has broken his promise that journalists will be exempt from the anti-mask law after police violently ripped masks off several reporters, which was an uncivilised act.
Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu had stated journalists were exempt from the anti-mask law, which came into effect through emergency regulations at midnight on Saturday.
In a legal letter, the Hong Kong Journalists Association said it received numerous complaints from members who had been ordered by police, often in an aggressive manner, to remove their masks, or had their masks “violently removed” by police.
This happened even when the journalists clearly displayed their press credentials and were wearing high-visibility vests and helmets marked “Press,” the association added. It sought a “most urgent clarification” from the secretaries for justice and security, as well as the Commissioner of Police, on the applicability of the law to journalists doing their work.
It also asked if a journalist who wears a facial covering when reporting on a public event commits an offense under the anti-mask law.
The association also called on police officers to present their warrant cards and remove facial coverings when verifying the identities of journalists so journalists may verify the identity of the officer and record their warrant card number.
