Firearms are allowed at the rally
Open and concealed carry (with a Georgia Weapons Carry License – GWCL) are allowed outside the Capitol building. No weapons are allowed inside the Capitol Building. Long gun carry is also allowed outside the Capitol building, just please be ALWAYS aware of where your muzzle is pointing at ALL times. This is more difficult to do with a long gun than with a holstered handgun and we must not be careless and scare people.
If you plan to go inside the Capitol Building after the rally to speak with your senator or representative, you must arrange for a friend or relative (with a GWCL) to have custody of your weapons while you are inside the Capitol Buildings; GA2A will have no practical way to provide for such custody at the rally.
Guidelines and laws
Please remember that you will be representing GA2A and our 2nd Amendment community at large during the rally. Broadcasters and the Press will be present (as well as gun control advocates), all of them armed with cameras trying to capture pictures that portray us as a fringe group of crazy and dangerous people. We should not give them that satisfaction! Street clothes (what you wear on a date with your sweetheart or to a restaurant or movie theater) would be way better than your full tactical camo gear with the fancy armor plates that you enjoy so much. Our overall mission that day would be to win hearts and minds to our cause.
Georgia has different laws for those with a GWCL and those without one. If you have a GWCL you can carry your handgun either concealed or openly outside of the Capitol (e.g. around Liberty Plaza where the rally will take place).
Handgun transport without a GWCL
Unless SB319 is enacted into law, you cannot carry without a GWCL, so transporting your firearms without a GWCL is pointless and a moot point.
Getting there
There is public parking (both decks and lots) around the Georgia State Capitol (please see map below), but the easiest way to reach the State Capitol is by Marta to Five Points Station, which is about an 8 minute walk to Liberty Plaza). With a GWCL, it is legal to carry on Marta.
Once you are there
Our Recruiting Coordinator, Mr. Bruce Greenfield will be located close to the stage distributing gun-rights-related buttons, including the ones featuring our new logo. Also, Mr. Chuck Turney, member of our board of directors, will be there selling the new GA2A hats. Please look for them and come say hi when you arrive at the plaza.
The rally will last around 1 ½ hours, so please bring with you a water bottle and any snacks that you might want to consume during the event. We don’t expect high temperatures in Atlanta next week so hydration should not be a problem. Please know that whatever you bring, needs to stay with your person during the event as there will not be any secure location to store bags.
There will be three Porta Toilets available during the rally; one with handicap facilities and two standard ones. They will be located at the 2 o’clock position on the Liberty Plaza map below. A drop off location is also located just next to the Porta Toilets location (e.g. for wheelchair drop off).
Bars and restaurants
Some people may wish to have lunch at one of the businesses near downtown Atlanta (if you can find any, after all the business closures due to COVID19). For those that do not have a GCWL, you CAN NOT possess a firearm in any restaurant.
A great overview of gun-related laws in Georgia can be found here.