It’s been an eventful year to say the least. But when historians look back on images of all that’s happened, it’ll be easy to place 2021 in the Covid era if only for the ubiquity of one particular item of apparel.

As the coronavirus mutated, dragging out the pandemic as well as its polarizing precautions, it’s no wonder that so many have turned their masks into platforms for their politics. From members of Congress to protesters in the streets, people have used protective face coverings to make a statement.

POLITICO Magazine compiled a photo gallery of some of the most distinctive political masks across 2021. Together, these photos capture a remarkable year as new, high-stakes political fights collided with an ongoing, and still deadly, pandemic.