Carrying at Protests or Demonstrations

[Craig_AR]

Over in Strategy, Tactics, and Training, the now properly locked thread Open carry question introduced several legal questions about brandishing and other related issues.

MedWheeler commented with the following:

"Some states that would otherwise permit such carry in fact prohibit or otherwise regulate it while attending or participating in a protest, rally, or other type of public demonstration (even a parade in some cases.) Since the protests/incident in Virginia came up, I wonder if Virginia, or any of its localities, has such regulations in place."

Virginia has a state preemption law forbidding local governments from establishing county or city laws controlling firearms beyond state law. As far as I know, no local jurisdiction in VA has any such law grandfathered and in effect. However, as a direct result of the Charlottesville mess, at least one member of the state legislature is reported to have proposed just such a no-firearms-at demonstrations bill to be considered by the General Assembly in the next session. I have no idea if this will be introduced, but I suspect it is unlikely such a bill would be passed by the current body. I am quite sure, however, the current governor would sign it if it were to reach his desk.

 

[MedWheeler]

I was indeed curious about that. While I don't visit Virginia as often as I once did, I do visit its southerly neighbor pretty much every year, and sometimes more often. North Carolina had, until recently, such a myriad of prohibited places that a multi-stop outing could be downright confusing. Among those places were any such activity in public, even as a spectator, and even including parades. A few years back, the state revised its prohibitions, though, but the "events occurring in public" one still stands.

It was North Carolina that made me think of it since I go there as often as I do. My own state of Florida has no such prohibition (yet.)