VietJoy

Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters are planning a unique demonstration Thursday in defiance of the city's recent emergency law banning face coverings.

The protesters will mark Halloween with a march on the city's Lan Kwai Fong entertainment district wearing masks depicting Carrie Lam, the city's embattled chief executive, Chinese President Xi Jinping or other government officials.

Hong Kong police say they will deploy extra officers to the district, which is expected to be filled with costumed party-goers.  They will demand anyone suspected of being a protester to remove their masks or face paint.  But Halloween masks are not covered under the ban, which will make it difficult for police to tell the difference between a protester and an ordinary reveler.

Thousands of masked demonstrators have marched through Hong Kong's streets since June, sparked by anger over a controversial extradition bill that evolved into demands for full democracy for the Chinese-controlled city.  The protesters have hidden their identities out of fear of retribution from local authorities, or concerns they could be shared with mainland China.

Hong Kong earlier this month banned people from wearing masks at public protests by invoking a British colonial-era emergency powers act that was last used to quell riots in in 1967.  The current ban was invoked in response to increasingly violent clashes between police and protesters.  

The turmoil, coupled with the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, has taken a toll on the financial hub, with the government announcing Thursday that the city is in a technical recession for the first time in a decade.