Which state statutes explicitly ban firearms at public demonstrations and what are their exact statutory texts?

1. North Carolina: an explicit, on‑the‑books prohibition

North Carolina’s statute G.S. 14‑277.2 plainly criminalizes weapons at public demonstrations; its enacted text reads in part: “(a) It shall be unlawful for any person participating in, affiliated with, or present as a spectator at any parade, funeral procession, picket line, or demonstration upon any private health care facility or upon any public place owned or under the control of the State or any of its political subdivisions to willfully or intentionally possess or have immediate access to any dangerous weapon.” The statute also contains exemptions for those authorized by other law and for permits issued by local law enforcement ^{[4] [5] [6]}.

2. Washington State: open‑carry ban near permitted demonstrations (text excerpt)

Washington’s weapons statute RCW 9.41.300 includes a location‑based prohibition tied to permitted demonstrations; the statute states: “(b) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly open carry a firearm or other weapon while knowingly within 250 feet of the perimeter of a permitted demonstration after a duly authorized state or local law enforcement officer advises the person of the permitted demonstration and directs the person to leave until he or she no longer possesses or controls the firearm or other weapon.” The code also lists capitol grounds and legislative facilities among locations where open carry is restricted, and it provides certain licensing and official‑duty exceptions ^{[7] [8]}.

3. Parading/paramilitary statutes that functionally ban arms at rallies (representative text)

Several states prohibit groups from parading or drilling in public with firearms — statutes aimed at paramilitary activity. A representative New York formulation cited in reporting reads: “No body of men other than the organized militia and the armed forces of the United States … shall associate themselves together as a military company or other unit or parade in public with firearms in any city or town of this state.” These anti‑paramilitary/parading laws are widespread (reported as present in roughly 25–29 states in different analyses) and are commonly enforced against organized, armed groups at public gatherings ^{[3] [9]}.

4. Broader statutory tools: brandishing, intimidation, and sensitive‑place bans

Beyond statutes that explicitly mention “demonstrations,” many states prohibit brandishing or displaying firearms with intent to alarm (reporting cites 17 states with explicit brandishing prohibitions and additional states outlawing pointing or using firearms to intimidate) and maintain “sensitive‑place” exclusions (capitols, polling places, courthouses, stadiums, licensed events) that can cover demonstrations held in those spaces ^{[2] [10] [1]}. These provisions often serve public‑safety ends even where a statute does not say “protest” or “parade” by name ^{[2] [1]}.

5. The legal landscape and limits of available reporting

Multiple organizations (Everytown, Giffords, ICNL, UCLA Law Review, The Trace) map this uneven terrain: some sources say roughly half the states restrict long guns on capitol grounds or at protests, others quantify states with paramilitary or polling‑place bans, and still others count states that preempt local protest‑specific rules ^{[11] [12] [13] [1]}. Reporting supplies exact statutory text for only a few examples (North Carolina, Washington, New York representative clause cited above) and summarizes categories of laws elsewhere; it does not provide an exhaustive, word‑for‑word compendium of every state’s statute prohibiting firearms at demonstrations. Consequently, a complete list of every state statute and its exact statutory text cannot be produced from these sources alone without consulting the individual state codes directly ^{[4] [7] [3] [2]}.

6. Competing views and practical effects

Proponents of explicit bans argue they reduce intimidation and violence at civic events — citing studies tying armed demonstrations to greater rates of violence — while opponents cite Second Amendment and preemption concerns that have blocked or complicated local regulation; courts have upheld many anti‑parading and sensitive‑place rules but post‑Bruen litigation keeps the constitutional question active ^{[11] [2] [9]}. The reporting shows policy variety: some states explicitly ban guns at demonstrations (North Carolina, Washington’s open‑carry rule, and many anti‑parading statutes), many more restrict related conduct or locations, and a number of states preempt local bans ^{[13] [1] [3]}.