Montana has changed the rules governing when groups can apply for permits to hold public events on the Capitol Complex, and the update is now disrupting plans for a planned “No Kings” rally in Helena on March 28. The permitting guidance posted on Montana.gov says events that require a permit “may only occur on weekdays and between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., excluding holidays,” a limitation that organizers say clashes with their plans to hold weekend demonstrations.
The revisions apply to all state-owned or leased spaces and grounds at the Capitol Complex and are tied to which events need a permit. The policy requires a permit for public events that use “state resources,” need “setup of any structures, materials, displays,” or require “clean-up,” and defines a public event as any event “open to the public” to which the public will have “full access.”
The Capitol Complex has long been a favored location for protests, ceremonies, and other gatherings, including “No Kings” rallies that have drawn thousands of demonstrators to Helena. Organizers say the upcoming nationwide rally is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, and they had been planning to use the Capitol plaza and power access for a stage for speakers.
According to the updated permitting guidance, the changes differ from earlier information on the Montana.gov site, which previously said permits were available “on most weekends and most holidays.” A spokesperson for the Montana Department of Administration said the General Services Division approved the revisions last month and that the rules were instituted Feb. 27 after the most recent legislative session.
In an email to Montana Free Press, Department of Administration spokesperson Janna Williams said the new rules are intended to manage costs and strain on state resources. Williams wrote that “after-hours and weekend events are costly and strain state resources,” and that the changes were not required to notify the public, according to the report.
Williams also said the updated policy allows some weekend gatherings, but restricts permits for events that involve certain equipment. “Setup of items like generators and sound stage equipment is only permitted during weekday business hours with an event permit issued by the General Services Division, even if the equipment is provided and set up by event organizers,” Williams wrote.
Indivisible Helena, a local chapter of the national Indivisible organization focused on political action, is organizing the March 28 “No Kings” rally. Barbara Barnes, who represents the group, said Capitol staff warned Indivisible Helena at the last “No Kings” rally in October that changes to weekend permitting could affect future events.
Barnes said Indivisible Helena was told there might be a policy coming that would eliminate support for permits for weekend rallies, and that for a national event the group cannot simply change the date. She said the group’s prior rallies often used the Capitol plaza in front of the building, where organizers could access building power and set up a stage for speakers.
With the updated rules in place, Barnes said the group plans to relocate the March 28 rally’s stage setup to Sixth Avenue, the street in front of the Capitol, while allowing participants to stand on the Capitol lawn. She said the plan is to park a flatbed trailer on the public street to serve as a stage for speakers and to keep sidewalks clear, arguing that the inability to use certain sound-system and equipment setups on the Capitol grounds would inhibit their ability to assemble and speak.
“We have the right to assemble in that way, we just don’t have a right to the sound system and all of the rest of it, and that really does inhibit our right to free speech and assembly,” Barnes said.
The permitting change may also complicate other weekend demonstrations. Anaconda resident Nicholas Babcock is organizing a separate “March for Justice” rally planned for this coming Sunday at the Capitol to protest the government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Babcock told Montana Free Press that he does not plan to use or bring equipment for the event and said that would mean the group does not require a permit, but he said the new rules still raise concerns about future rallies that would need microphones or staging.
Barnes said Indivisible Montana and other organizing partners plan to address permitting issues after the March 28 “No Kings” rally. She said the group asked the city of Helena about moving the rally to a local park but could not obtain insurance required by the city, and she said the organizers plan to pursue permitting and assembly options after the upcoming event.