OLYMPIA — After an emotional debate that highlighted and lamented America’s sharp political divisions, the Washington Senate on Thursday voted to ban the open carry of firearms and other weapons, not just at the state Capitol campus, but at permitted demonstrations in public spaces across the state.

The passage of Senate Bill 5038 comes after months of intense protests around the state over the killing of people of color by law enforcement, as well as by demonstrators supportive of former President Donald Trump in the wake of his election defeat.

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