Pittsburgh and the right to bear PVC

Sure, it's a potential restriction on PVC, but it's not what you think ... Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is preparing legislation aimed at banning people from carrying PVC pipe into public places. According to this story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the effort is aimed at stopping people at protest rallies from linking themselves together in tough-to-break formations. Protesters frequently use PVC pipe adorned with big signs as a shield to keep police from pushing into the crowd with shields and batons. Other tools of the trade, according to the story, include handcuffs, locks and wire. The city is preparing for a G-20 summit meeting on Sept. 24-25, so officials know protestors will be out in force. Will this legislation fly? Councilman Patrick Dowd told the newspaper that he has a lot of questions, noting that if the city can't bar people from carrying concealed guns, "How can you restrict somebody from carrying PVC?"