Amid the bright lights and electronic billboards in New York’s Times Square, authorities are putting up new signs proclaiming the bustling plaza a “Gun Free Zone.”
The Manhattan tourist attraction is one of many sensitive places, including parks, churches and theaters, where guns will be banned under a new state law that takes effect Thursday.
The measure, passed after a Supreme Court decision in June that expanded gun rights, also sets strict standards for the issuance of concealed carry permits.
However, the law has led to confusion and legal challenges from gun owners, who say it unduly limits their constitutional rights.
The list of no-gun spaces has drawn criticism from those owners: They say it’s so extensive it will make it hard for people with permits to move around in public. Those who carry a weapon can enter private businesses only with a permit, such as a sign posted at the entrance.
Under the law, applicants for a concealed carry permit must complete 16 hours of classroom training and two hours of live fire drills.
Ordinary citizens would be prohibited from bringing weapons to schools, churches, subways, theaters and amusement parks, among other places considered sensitive by the authorities.
Applicants will also be required to provide a list of social media accounts from the past three years as part of a “character and conduct” review.
But in Times Square, visited by some 50 million tourists a year, and in many less crowded places, carrying a gun will be illegal starting Thursday. New York City Council President Adrienne Adams said she hoped to see authorities act to “protect New Yorkers and visitors who frequent Times Square.”
Associated Press/OnCuba.
