Post by Logan on Jun 25, 2016 22:52:56 GMT -6
Officials work to prevent repeat of dueling hate rallies outside state Capitol
COLUMBIA -- Lawmakers in South Carolina want to regulate events at the state Capitol in an effort to avoid the chaos of last July, when opposing groups of demonstrators held overlapping rallies and overwhelmed a massive police presence.
Since a bill requiring people to obtain a permit for large gatherings on Statehouse grounds failed in April amid First Amendment concerns, a legislative panel is pursuing crowd control through regulations. Drafted rules, similar to those for the U.S. Capitol, have been submitted to the Statehouse Committee for review.
They include requiring a permit for gatherings of more than 19 people, requiring an application to be submitted at least 10 days ahead of the planned event, and barring permits for simultaneous events in the same area.
“I happen to feel you can protect and defend the First Amendment and the public at the same time. But it’s impossible to regulate common sense,” Sen. Harvey Peeler, the committee’s chairman, said Tuesday. “The person who schedules a KKK rally and Black Panthers rally on the Statehouse grounds at the same time has no common sense.”
Read more here: www.heraldonline.com/news/local/article85992142.html
COLUMBIA -- Lawmakers in South Carolina want to regulate events at the state Capitol in an effort to avoid the chaos of last July, when opposing groups of demonstrators held overlapping rallies and overwhelmed a massive police presence.
Since a bill requiring people to obtain a permit for large gatherings on Statehouse grounds failed in April amid First Amendment concerns, a legislative panel is pursuing crowd control through regulations. Drafted rules, similar to those for the U.S. Capitol, have been submitted to the Statehouse Committee for review.
They include requiring a permit for gatherings of more than 19 people, requiring an application to be submitted at least 10 days ahead of the planned event, and barring permits for simultaneous events in the same area.
“I happen to feel you can protect and defend the First Amendment and the public at the same time. But it’s impossible to regulate common sense,” Sen. Harvey Peeler, the committee’s chairman, said Tuesday. “The person who schedules a KKK rally and Black Panthers rally on the Statehouse grounds at the same time has no common sense.”
Read more here: www.heraldonline.com/news/local/article85992142.html