A ban on the face veil, or niqab or burqa, went into force in Denmark on Wednesday.
Danish lawmakers approved the law in May, which was presented by the center-right governing coalition that is known for tightening asylum and immigration rules in recent years.
The ban also covers ski masks, face masks and false beards.
The law allows people to cover their face when there is a "recognizable purpose" like cold weather or complying with other legal requirements, such as using motorcycle helmets required under Danish traffic rules.
First-time offenders risk a fine of 1,000 kroner ($157). Repeat offenses could trigger fines of up to 10,000 kroner or a jail sentence of up to six months.
Anyone forcing a person to wear garments covering the face by using force or threats can be fined or face up to two years in prison.
Supporters and opponents of the ban clashed verbally later on Wednesday as the law took effect.
Marcus Knuth of the ruling liberal party Venstre, says the dress worn by some conservative Muslim women is "strongly oppressive."
Sasha Andersen of the "Party Rebels" activist group, is planning a demonstration later in the day against what they called a "discriminatory" measure against a minority group. Groups that back the ban also plan to rally.
Popularly known as the "Burqa Ban," it is mostly seen as being directed at the niqab and burqa. Few Muslim women in Denmark wear such full-face veils.
Amnesty International condemned the law as a “discriminatory violation of women’s rights,” especially against Muslim women who choose to wear the full-face veils.
“Whilst some specific restrictions on the wearing of full-face veils for the purposes of public safety may be legitimate, this blanket ban is neither necessary nor proportionate and violates the rights to freedom of expression and religion,” the organization's Europe director Gauri van Gulik said in a statement following the vote.
“If the intention of this law was to protect women’s rights, it fails abjectly. Instead, the law criminalizes women for their choice of clothing and in so doing flies in the face of those freedoms Denmark purports to uphold,” she added.
Austria, France and Belgium have similar laws.
