Convention Weapons Policy

Brief Overview:
Anime Boston prohibits the following:

• Weapons prohibited under Massachusetts law
• Real guns (working, disabled, or otherwise)
• Metal blades (knives, swords, sharp wings, etc.)
• Projectile weapons (pellet guns, airsoft rifles, disc guns, etc.)
• Loaded water pistols or other liquid "weapons"
• Practice swords (unless they can be peacebound into a scabbard of some sort)
• Any other potentially harmful weapon/prop as determined by Anime Boston Security.

Security is not able to pre-approve weapons and props before the convention. A determination can only be made after actually handling and inspecting the object in question.

If you have any questions, please contact Security.

Full Policy:
According to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 269, Section 10, Paragraph B:

Whoever, except as provided by law, carries on his person, or carries on his person or under his control in a vehicle, any stiletto, dagger or a device or case which enables a knife with a locking blade to be drawn at a locked position, any ballistic knife, or any knife with a detachable blade capable of being propelled by any mechanism, dirk knife, any knife having a double-edged blade, or a switch knife, or any knife having an automatic spring release device by which the blade is released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches, or a slung shot, blowgun, blackjack, metallic knuckles or knuckles of any substance which could be put to the same use with the same or similar effect as metallic knuckles, nunchaku, zoobow, also known as klackers or kung fu sticks, or any similar weapon consisting of two sticks of wood, plastic or metal connected at one end by a length of rope, chain, wire or leather, a shuriken or any similar pointed starlike object intended to injure a person when thrown, or any armband, made with leather which has metallic spikes, points or studs or any similar device made from any other substance or a cestus or similar material weighted with metal or other substance and worn on the hand, or a manrikigusari or similar length of chain having weighted ends; or whoever, when arrested upon a warrant for an alleged crime, or when arrested while committing a breach or disturbance of the public peace, is armed with or has on his person, or has on his person or under his control in a vehicle, a billy or other dangerous weapon other than those herein mentioned and those mentioned in paragraph (a), shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than two and one-half years nor more than five years in the state prison, or for not less than six months nor more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction, except that, if the court finds that the defendant has not been previously convicted of a felony, he may be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction.

Security must approve all potential weapons and such items must remain sheathed or holstered at all times. Anime Boston policy is that attendees may not carry anything that resembles a real weapon during the convention unless it is in a holster or sheath and peacebonded. All attendees must take any item that may be possibly construed as a weapon that they intend to carry on their person during the convention to the Security office for approval and proper peace bonding by Security staff. If Security asks an attendee to remove an item deemed a weapon, we ask they take it immediately to their hotel room or off convention property.

Anime Boston will ask any attendee found wearing a potential weapon that has not been peace bonded by Security to take it to Security for approval. Security will deal with repeated offenses accordingly, up to and including ejection from the convention without refund.

Peacebonding means that you allow us to put a bright plastic tie on your "weapon" indicating that it has been judged relatively harmless and/or is being bound into a holder of some sort that renders it so. These ties can only be removed by cutting them, making it obvious if tampering should occur. Anyone who has a weapon or prop that could possibly viewed as dangerous (even a little bit) needs to visit Security to have it approved and, if necessary, peacebound. Any weapons that aren't approved and/or can't be peacebound are welcome to stay in the Security office where they will be babysat until they are brought home or locked away in the safety of your room. If you're found walking about the convention with a questionable object, you will be asked to bring it to Security to have it checked over. Each item will be judged individually so that the safety of all is addressed firstly.

We thank you for your support and understanding.