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Gun rights groups oppose Pittsburgh's proposed G-20 rules
Friday, August 28, 2009
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Gun rights organizations today came out against a proposed city of Pittsburgh ordinance, driven by the G-20 Summit, that would bar anyone from carrying numerous items, including 37 types of firearms, if they appear to be trying to disrupt police crowd dispersal.
"They may try to call this some other thing, but by every reasonable account, and reasonable review of what they intend to do, this is a gun ban, plain and simple," said Andrew Arulanandam, director of public affairs for the National Rifle Association. "And the fact that they want to leave it open-ended, I think, is the most ominous point."
He said passage of the ordinance could force the NRA to reconsider bringing its annual meeting, which can draw tens of thousands of members, to Pittsburgh in 2011.
Pittsburgh City Council today debated the ordinance, which, among other things, says that "no person shall possess" an array of "contraband" guns "for the purpose of defeating lawful removal" by police.
Having guns "is of genuine concern when you're having a massive protest," as may occur around the summit, said Councilman Bruce Kraus. "I'd actually like to see this work, if it was possible."
"This has nothing to do with your right to possess any of these" items, said Assistant City Solicitor Yvonne Hilton. "It's the use of the tool to obstruct the passage" of police or the public that would trigger a violation of the ordinance.
Mr. Arulanandam said the NRA cancelled a meeting in Columbus, Ohio, when it passed gun regulations. "The fact that there's potential for this to be open-ended would jeopardize the NRA annual meeting that's scheduled to be in Pittsburgh in 2011."
He did not rule out suing to overturn the ordinance, if it's passed.
Council President Doug Shields has said the legislation may need an expiration date. Council postponed a vote until after a public hearing on G-20-related policing legislation, set for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The guns referenced in the legislation are already listed in the city code because council passed an "assault weapons ban" in 1993, only to have it nixed by the General Assembly less than a year later.
Mike Stollenwerk, co-founder of OpenCarry.org, which promotes the right to openly bear arms, said the inclusion of a gun list in the legislation is "nonsensical." Some are Korean War-era weapons, he said, and if police tell you to move along, it doesn't matter what you're carrying.
"Assuming the order to disperse is lawful," he said, "well, then, it doesn't matter if they're carrying a fishing pole. They're still [potentially] guilty of failing to disperse."
He said he believes the city is trying to "bait" people into bringing rifles to G-20 protests, but that his group has no plans to encourage people to bring any weapons near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center during the summit.
Rich Lord can be reached at rlord@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1542.
First published on August 28, 2009 at 2:52 pm
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09240/993917-100.stm
Gun rights groups oppose Pittsburgh's proposed G-20 rules
Friday, August 28, 2009
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Gun rights organizations today came out against a proposed city of Pittsburgh ordinance, driven by the G-20 Summit, that would bar anyone from carrying numerous items, including 37 types of firearms, if they appear to be trying to disrupt police crowd dispersal.
"They may try to call this some other thing, but by every reasonable account, and reasonable review of what they intend to do, this is a gun ban, plain and simple," said Andrew Arulanandam, director of public affairs for the National Rifle Association. "And the fact that they want to leave it open-ended, I think, is the most ominous point."
He said passage of the ordinance could force the NRA to reconsider bringing its annual meeting, which can draw tens of thousands of members, to Pittsburgh in 2011.
Pittsburgh City Council today debated the ordinance, which, among other things, says that "no person shall possess" an array of "contraband" guns "for the purpose of defeating lawful removal" by police.
Having guns "is of genuine concern when you're having a massive protest," as may occur around the summit, said Councilman Bruce Kraus. "I'd actually like to see this work, if it was possible."
"This has nothing to do with your right to possess any of these" items, said Assistant City Solicitor Yvonne Hilton. "It's the use of the tool to obstruct the passage" of police or the public that would trigger a violation of the ordinance.
Mr. Arulanandam said the NRA cancelled a meeting in Columbus, Ohio, when it passed gun regulations. "The fact that there's potential for this to be open-ended would jeopardize the NRA annual meeting that's scheduled to be in Pittsburgh in 2011."
He did not rule out suing to overturn the ordinance, if it's passed.
Council President Doug Shields has said the legislation may need an expiration date. Council postponed a vote until after a public hearing on G-20-related policing legislation, set for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The guns referenced in the legislation are already listed in the city code because council passed an "assault weapons ban" in 1993, only to have it nixed by the General Assembly less than a year later.
Mike Stollenwerk, co-founder of OpenCarry.org, which promotes the right to openly bear arms, said the inclusion of a gun list in the legislation is "nonsensical." Some are Korean War-era weapons, he said, and if police tell you to move along, it doesn't matter what you're carrying.
"Assuming the order to disperse is lawful," he said, "well, then, it doesn't matter if they're carrying a fishing pole. They're still [potentially] guilty of failing to disperse."
He said he believes the city is trying to "bait" people into bringing rifles to G-20 protests, but that his group has no plans to encourage people to bring any weapons near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center during the summit.
Rich Lord can be reached at rlord@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1542.
First published on August 28, 2009 at 2:52 pm
