Man dressed as a shark is arrested under Austria's burka ban laws while working as a mascot outside a shop

  • The employee was standing outside a computer store called McShark in Vienna 
  • Officers told him to remove the shark head and he was arrested when he refused
  • Protested he was 'just doing his job' but Austrian police slapped him with a fine 

By Gareth Davies For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

A man dressed as a shark has been arrested under Austria's burka ban laws while working as a mascot outside a shop. 

The employee was standing outside McShark in a shark suit to advertise the new electronics store in Vienna.

Police officers demanded he removed his shark head and when he refused, protesting he was 'just doing his job', they arrested him and slapped him with a fine.

Is some fin wrong, officer? The man is pictured outside the McShark store with his shark head

Is some fin wrong, officer? The man is pictured outside the McShark store with his shark head

Police, in navy uniforms, talk to members of the public and other McShark staff members

Police, in navy uniforms, talk to members of the public and other McShark staff members

New restrictions came into force in Austria at the beginning of the month banning the wearing of the full Islamic veil and other items concealing the face in public places and buildings.

Also prohibited are be clown disguises, medical masks and scarves to cover faces, with residents only permitted under certain conditions to wear them in public.    

The restrictions are aimed at 'ensuring the cohesion of society in an open society', according to officials, and violations will be punished with a fine of up to €150.

With the wording of the law meant to be religiously-neutral, it has left a massive grey area which Austrians appear to be exploiting. 

It is thought the man in the shark suit was reported to police by a member of the public who wanted to make a point of the new piece of legislation.  

Advertising agency Warda Network, who were at the McShark opening, wrote on its Facebook page: 'Today we were at the McShark store opening and our shark mascot received a fine from the Vienna police because of the new ban on face-coverings. Life is not easy.' 

The company is now reviewing its policy on using mascots. 

Elsewhere in the Austrian capital, a cyclist was said to have been arrested and fined for wearing a scarf over her face, according to local media.

New restrictions come into force in Austria on Sunday banning the wearing of the full Islamic veil like this one pictured and other items concealing the face in public places and buildings

New restrictions come into force in Austria on Sunday banning the wearing of the full Islamic veil like this one pictured and other items concealing the face in public places and buildings

In passing the new legislation, officials in Vienna said: 'Acceptance and respect of Austrian values are basic conditions for successful cohabitation between the majority Austrian population and people from third countries living in Austria.'

The measures, similar to those in other European Union countries, also apply to visitors even though large numbers of Arab tourists holiday in the Alpine country.

Clown masks such as this one will be banned

Clown masks such as this one will be banned

The legislation was brought in by the outgoing centrist government of Chancellor Christian Kern.

Elections on October 15 are expected to see the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPOe) come second or third and potentially enter a coalition with Sebastian Kurz of the centre-right.

Kurz, who is only 31, has managed to steal considerable numbers of voters from the FPOe according to the latest polls. 

Experts believe this is in part due to him moving to the right on issues such as immigration.

This week he told a German TV network: 'The immigration seen in recent years is changing out country not in a positive but in a negative way.'

Other measures which came into play on October 1 include immigrants signing an 'integration contract' and compulsory courses in the German language and 'values'.

How the burqa ban has divided opinion across Europe 

Britain 

There is no law restricting the wearing of garments for religious reasons.

 However in March 2007 the education ministry published directives allowing directors of public establishments and denominational schools to ban the niqab veil. 

Judges have on occasion refused to hear veiled women because they could not verify their identity.

Netherlands

The legislation, which has passed the lower house and now has to be approved by the Senate, bans the wearing of burkas, helmets and face masks on public transport as well as education, healthcare and government buildings.

The bill was proposed by Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk last year, as he believed clothing that covered the face hindered communication in public services and could pose a security threat. Violations could result in a fine of up to 410 euros.

Germany

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has proposed a partial burka ban. De Maiziere, one of Merkel's closest allies, said the ban would cover 'places where it is necessary for our society's coexistence' including government offices, schools and universities, courtrooms as well as demonstrations.

France

The first European country to ban the full-veil in public spaces with a law 'banning the hiding of the face in public spaces', with a law that took effect in April 2011. 

The European Court of Human Rights upheld the burka ban in 2014, rejecting arguments that outlawing full-face veils breached religious freedom. The law has resulted in around 1,500 arrests in the past five years, and violations can result in fines of up to 150 euros.

Earlier this year, several French towns sought to ban burkinis, the full-body Islamic swimsuit. The move was successfully challenged in all but one case on the island of Corsica.

Belgium

The wearing of the full veil is governed by a June 1, 2011 law. It prohibits 'appearing in places accessible to the public with a face masked or hidden, in whole or in part, in such a way as to be unidentifiable'. Exceptions exist, in particular where the workplace requires the face to be hidden, or for the carnival season. Violations can result in fines and/or up to seven days in jail.

Bulgaria

In September, Bulgarian lawmakers approved a law that bans wearing in public clothing that partially or completely covers the face, with exceptions for health or professional reasons. Initial violations result in a fine of roughly 100 euros, while subsequent violations are fined the equivalent of 750 euros.

Italy

There is currently a debate over a 1975 law aimed at protecting public order that makes it illegal to cover one's face in public places and the provision applies to the veil, as well as motorcycle helmets and other masks. 

The anti-immigrant Northern League presented in October a draft law in the Lombardy region around Milan that would ban the burka, niqab and burkini.

A region in the Italian Riviera is to ban women from wearing the Islamic niqab in hospitals and public offices.

Officials in the northern region of Liguria announced plans to enforce the ban in what is described as an attempt to defend women's freedom.

Switzerland

Switzerland's lower house narrowly approved in September a draft bill on a nationwide burka ban, but the measure remains far from becoming law. In the southern Tessin region however, the burka has been forbidden since July 1 and violators face a minimum fine of 100 Swiss francs. 

Norway

Education Minister Torbjorn Roe Isaksen said in October that the government was seeking regulations prohibiting the full-face veil in schools and universities. Scandinavian neighbours such as Denmark and Sweden have allowed schools, administrations and companies to decide the issue for themselves, while there is no ban in Finland.

Others

Three other countries that have not banned the burka are among those closest to the Middle East or North Africa - Greece, Portugal and Spain.

Morocco has banned the production and sale of burqa full-face Muslim veils for security reasons.

While there was no official announcement by authorities in the North African nation, the reports said the interior ministry order would take effect this week.

The ban has been imposed due to reports felons have been using the garment to help carry out their crimes. 

Most watched News videos

Comments 128

Share what you think

  View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

  View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.