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Proposed rule would ban baseball bats, glass bottles (but not guns) from protests in Clark County

Riley Snyder
Riley Snyder
GovernmentIndyBlog
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Metal pipes, baseball bats and torches could soon be officially banned from all public protests in Clark County, according to a proposed ordinance supported by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

Chuck Callaway, a lobbyist for Metro, presented a broad outline of the proposed ordinance on Tuesday during the Clark County Commission meeting and said the department wanted to take proactive steps to stem violence at political protests, specifically naming the August 2017 white supremacist protests in Charlottesville that left 19 injured and one person dead.

Callaway said he had worked with the Nevada branch of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 — the largest union in Nevada — to come up with the list of prohibited items, which also includes “projectile launchers,” glass bottles and shields made of metal, wood or plastic.

He said the police department would enforce the ordinance by first providing a warning unless “exigent circumstances” existed, and would give people a chance to remove their items from the area before issuing a citation. He also said the rules wouldn’t apply towards parade floats or static displays and would not cover canes, walkers or other personal mobility devices.

Not included on the list were firearms — Nevada law requires a permit for concealed carry of weapons, but openly carrying a firearm is generally allowed without a permit in any public place. The Legislature also has exclusive domain over firearms law, so a single county or municipality would not be able to individually restrict firearm possession or use.

The ordinance was introduced for the first time on Tuesday, and will need to go through a public hearing and final vote of the commission before it takes effect.

Prohibited items on the list included:

  • Sticks, wood and lumber larger than ½ inch thick and 2 inches wide
  • Metal or plastic pipe unless it is less than ¾ of an inch, hollow and used for supporting a banner or sign
  • All baseball bats, unless they are foam, paper or soft plastic
  • Any aerosol spray, mace or pepper spray over 0.5 ounces
  • Any projectile launcher, wrist rocket or catapult
  • Weapons including knives with over 3-inch blades, box cutters, ice picks, axes, Tasers, stun guns, nunchucks or pellet guns
  • Bottles or balloons filled with any flammable or “noxious matter” with intent to throw or disperse
  • Flame torches and lanterns, excluding candles
  • Glass bottles
  • Shields made of metal, wood or hard plastic
  • Bricks, rocks, pieces of asphalt or concrete

Disclosure: The Culinary Union has donated to The Nevada Independent. You can see a full list of donors here.

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