Fight the "dangerous experiment"
The Keep Canberra Open (KCO) campaign was launched earlier this year to protest proposed reforms to the city's liquor licensing laws.
Campaign organisers have now announced a rally set to hit the streets of the country's capital on Saturday 30 July.
The KCO group describes government proposals to introduce a 3am drinking ban and an increase in licensing fees as "a dangerous experiment".
The reforms have been branded "lock out laws in disguise" by KCO.
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The rally aims to highlight the policies outlined in the Building On Liquor Reform: White Paper issued by ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell — set to be introduced to the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday 2 August.
KCO have issued a statement claiming that there had been no direct consultation with the hospitality industry ahead of the reform discussion and warn that "thousands of jobs" may be lost if the changes go through.
According to KCO, the reforms, an attempt by the government to address the issue of alcohol-related violence, fly in the face of research that shows that alcohol-related assaults have declined by 11 per cent across the ACT in recent times.
They cite recent examples of similar reforms having failed in Melbourne back in 2008 and how the NSW government is discussing a review of the restrictive liquor reforms they introduced to much opposition in Sydney.
KCO has now collected more than 7,000 signatures signatures petitioning for the removal of the drinking ban and fee rise proposals the document being taken to the Assembly.
The rally will meet at Garema Place, Canberra, at noon on 30 July. The march will then move along Alinga Street, to Northbourne Avenue and London Circuit; finishing at the ACT Legislative Assembly where the petition will be presented.
For details on rally speakers, guest musicians and DJ's keep updated via the KCO Facebook page.