The governing body of Northern Virginia's largest city has voted unanimously to ban firearms on all public property.
The Alexandria City Council voted unanimously for the ordinance after a public hearing Saturday. The new law takes effect July 1 and bars firearms and ammunition from all city facilities and parks.
The city had a similar ordinance in the 1990s but a state law passed in 2002 barred localities from regulating firearms in their facilities. That law was overturned by the General Assembly this year.
Alexandria said it is the first city in Virginia to ban firearms under the new law.
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Gun-rights activists had occasionally conducted open-carry rallies at City Hall. A rally organized last week by the Virginia Citizens Defense League in opposition to the proposed law drew more than 200 participants.
