Protesters are now allowed to bring poster-sized signs inside the Georgia Capitol.
A policy adopted by the Georgia Building Authority this week permits hand-held signs in public areas of the Capitol, excluding House and Senate chambers.
The change comes after a federal judge ruled in March that protesters opposing an immigration enforcement bill must be able to silently display their posters in the Capitol.
"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 of Georgia. "To prohibit people from talking to their legislators in such an important place is anathema to the First Amendment."
The new rules allow signs up to 22-by-28 inches large, according to guidelines revised by the Georgia Building Authority on Tuesday. Signs attached to sticks remain prohibited.
Before the rule change, police could prevent signs for safety reasons, said Morgan Smith-Williams, spokeswoman for the Georgia Building Authority.
“The Department of Public Safety has always, in the interest of safety for folks in the Capitol, used their discretion to make sure signs weren’t intrusive, blocking exits or hiding anything,” she said. “For citizens to be able to have a clear idea of what they can and can’t bring, we went ahead and enumerated a size.”
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