South Carolina's capital city will not allow people to carry guns in the open during protests, festivals or other events that need a city permit.
The resolution passed unanimously earlier this month by the Columbia City Council also bans the open carrying of guns in city-owned buildings without written permission from the city manager, The State newspaper reported,
The South Carolina General Assembly passed a law this year allowing people with a concealed weapons permit to carry those guns openly. But the law allowed local governments to ban open carry for specific events for a limited period of time.
The city resolution will keep people safer, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said.
Concealed weapons permit holders “are incredibly responsible with the use of firearms, and I’m thankful for that,” Benjamin said. "But, the ability for a good, hard-working police officer to be able to ascertain who’s who when someone has a sidearm on fully exposed is very difficult.”