Signs such as these will soon be allowed inside the Georgia State Capitol
Under a new policy just adopted by the Georgia Building Authority protesters will now be allowed to bring large poster-sized signs inside the Georgia Capitol, excluding House and Senate chambers. InsiderAdvantage is told by several Capitol law enforcement officers that the change could be a “nightmare” during the 2019 General Assembly session.
“The people of Georgia deserve to have their voices heard in the very seat of government,” said Sean Young, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union. “To prohibit people from talking to their legislators in such an important place is anathema to the First Amendment.”
The new policy comes after a federal judge ruled in March that protesters opposing an illegal immigration enforcement bill must be able to silently display their posters in the Capitol.
New rules allow signs up to 22-by-28 inches large, according to guidelines revised by the Georgia Building Authority. Signs attached to sticks remain prohibited. Law enforcement officers tell InsiderAdvantage that the “silent” part of the judge’s ruling will no doubt be violated by boisterous protestors, and that confrontations or arrests inside the Capitol could get messy.
