49 replies to this topic

[STUNTMAN]

Dear friends,

In these days, the airsoft portuguese community it's fighting to avoid the end of the airsoft in our country.
It's dark days aproching very fast.

Until 2006, airsoft in Portugal (that gave the 1st steps in 1999) was a fight club game.
Nobody knew us, and we played allways without problems.

In 2006, a new gun law, put us on it.

Since than, to play, we must paint our guns, partial fluorecenst red or yellow collor, must be 18, federated on a airsoft federation and must have a maximum of 1.3J

We played, we painted our guns, we made two new federations and 90% of the airsoft portuguese players and teams comply with the law.

A few weeks ago, after a big crime wave in Portugal, they start talk about new rules:

1.2J
50% painted guns
and lots of small and unusefull and stupid things only authorized by the police (lots of them just to ban airsoft in Portugal)

Now, we're fighting with a proposal to the politicians, a petition and several ways to show that we're criminal, but only citizens hwo deserve to make our game without problems!

We know that you had the same problem, and one of the solutions it's to us in Portugal, it's to make like yours UKARa and your rules!

Keep ypur fingers cross... news any moment, but the clouds are very, very dark!

Airsoft it's not a crime... it's only a game!

A small video to support our sause:





Regards,


STUNTMAN

Edited by STUNTMAN, 25 September 2008 - 07:23 PM.

[Vercingetorix]

Damn! That sucks! Good luck with it man! I hope you all prevail!

[suckerx]

Dear friends,

In these days, the airsoft portuguese community it's fighting to avoid the end of the airsoft in our country.
It's dark days aproching very fast.

Until 2006, airsoft in Portugal (that gave the 1st steps in 1999) was a fight club game.
Nobody knew us, and we played allways without problems.

In 2006, a new gun law, put us on it.

Since than, to play, we must paint our guns, partial fluorecenst red or yellow collor, must be 18, federated on a airsoft federation and must have a maximum of 1.3J

We played, we painted our guns, we made two new federations and 90% of the airsoft portuguese players and teams comply with the law.

A few weeks ago, after a big crime wave in Portugal, they start talk about new rules:

1.2J
50% painted guns
and lots of small and unusefull and stupid things only authorized by the police (lots of them just to ban airsoft in Portugal)

Now, we're fighting with a proposal to the politicians, a petition and several ways to show that we're criminal, but only citizens hwo deserve to make our game without problems!

We know that you had the same problem, and one of the solutions it's to us in Portugal, it's to make like yours UKARa and your rules!

Keep ypur fingers cross... news any moment, but the clouds are very, very dark!

Airsoft it's not a crime... it's only a game!

A small video to support our sause:





Regards,


STUNTMAN

Just be glad that you can at least bring the guns in the country.

If not then welcome to the airsoft hellhole which is Canada.

Good luck with your cause.

[Gazaam]

Just be glad that you can at least bring the guns in the country.

If not then welcome to the airsoft hellhole which is Canada.

Good luck with your cause.

As Stuntman said, these are grim times indeed. The crime wave has been on the media 24/7, and the political pressure is corresponding. Despite that, a very reasonable counterproposal has been concocted by the two existing player federations, and a movement to collect signatures is underway, with major support being displayed in the national airsoft on-line forums.

Hope fully these measures, along with a sane measure of good common sense will prevail, as the current law proposal, while not outlawing airsoft outright, makes it bureaucratically illegal, by posing so many procedural barriers as to turn what still is (by the current law) a clearly defined recreational activity , into a bit of a practical nightmare.

[fryxharry]

That really sucks! Did airsoft have anything to do with that supposed "crime wave"? Often stuff like that doesn't even statistically exist and is just a media hype of what has been happening for years without anyone taking notice of it.

Edited by fryxharry, 26 September 2008 - 07:53 AM.

[Taragon]

Sucks man, stand together over there and show them there is nothing wrong with airsoft. As always.... they just need to understand the sport better.

Tbh, i am waiting for something similar over here in the UK. Gun crime is going through the roof, especially in London and i can see in the next 1-2 years RIF's being totally banned altogether! Or 100% of the gun being painted bright pink.

Unfortunatlly airsoft is stuck in this downward spiral that is caused by a few people who abuse the law and gun crime in general.

Aslong as there are problems with gun crime in a country, airsoft will always be in the line of fire. Its an easy route for goverments to take. shows the basic joe bloggs public that steps are being made (but we all know its totaly bull****).

Anyway, good lucky to everyone in Portugal..!!!!! Sure the whole airsoft community is behind you.

Edited by Taragon, 26 September 2008 - 08:12 AM.

[Gazaam]

That really sucks! Did airsoft have anything to do with that supposed "crime wave"? Often stuff like that doesn't even statistically exist and is just a media hype of what has been happening for years without anyone taking notice of it.

It has absolutely nothing to do with it at all - airsoft players in general have been conscious and law abiding. Of course, noone can vouch for every single person, but at least in the major games, that were announced to the general public as well as the police authorities, the current law has been enforced in all aspects by the game organizing personnel.

It is somewhat demotivating, since airsoft had a huge boom in the last years, even with some interest and joint event cooperation with the Portuguese military forces (there was a rather large game that was held at a fairly extensive military instalation recently).

Edited by Gazaam, 26 September 2008 - 08:14 AM.

[Gazaam]

Tbh, i am waiting for something similar over here in the UK. Gun crime is going through the roof, especially in London and i can see in the next 1-2 years RIF's being totally banned altogether! Or 100% of the gun being painted bright pink.

Unfortunatlly airsoft is stuck in this downward spiral that is caused by a few people who abuse the law and gun crime in general.

Aslong as there are problems with gun crime in a country, airsoft will always be in the line of fire. Its an easy route for goverments to take. shows the basic joe bloggs public that steps are being made (but we all know its totaly bull****).

I'm afraid gun crime is just a reflex of the downward spiral that is affecting economy, and the social fabric in pretty much all the western world. It is just sad that we end up being screwed due to that....

[m3nf]

That's bad news, i hope that enough support will help from the airsoft community in general, maybe worth getting an online signing system in place, that way not only people from your area can help out. Best of luck there, as i can see the same or worse happening in the uk soon

[vargbrujo]

Wishing you and your community the best of luck, Nuňo.

Edited by vargbrujo, 26 September 2008 - 12:21 PM.

[Chimpy]

Sucks balls dudes!

Hope things pan out for the best.

[Jungle_Spectre]

In the worst case you are welcome to come and play in Wild Wild Spain -where airsoft remains underground-.

I hate the airsoft/crime association. Here in Spain EVERYBODY has an airsoft gun (almost literally). There is also an increasing number of firearm wounds, which means that criminals use realsteel in their actions, not replicas.

Good luck, neighbours!

[skruface]

Just be glad that you can at least bring the guns in the country.

If not then welcome to the airsoft hellhole which is Canada.

Good luck with your cause.

There may well be the end of airsoft in Canada in short order as well, aside from the current problems we have importing airsoft guns.

Canadians face a federal election in a little over a month. The Liberal party (currently the official opposition to the governing Conservative party) have pledged to make prohibited all semi-automatic firearms thought an Order-In-Council (meaning, they don't have to have a vote) if they are elected. If that happens, then all semi-automatic firearms (and therefore, all replicas of semi-automatic firearms; including airsoft guns) would become Prohibited Weapons under the Canadian Criminal Code. Anyone caught with one could be subject to a lifetime firearms ban and a jail term of up to 10 years. I love airsoft, but not enough to do ten years in the pokey.

Here's hoping my fellow Canucks understand this and vote Conservative next month.

[Gazaam]

In the worst case you are welcome to come and play in Wild Wild Spain -where airsoft remains underground-.

I hate the airsoft/crime association. Here in Spain EVERYBODY has an airsoft gun (almost literally). There is also an increasing number of firearm wounds, which means that criminals use realsteel in their actions, not replicas.

Good luck, neighbours!

Well, it takes 10 minutes for me to cross over into Spain, but that's hardly the point. The law proposal doesn't ban airsoft outright - it would be embarassing if it would, since it was legalized two years ago. What it does is to create such a level of bureaucracy as to make it unfeaseable to play legally.

Here's a short summary of such measures:

- Mandatory recognition of by the IPD (government institute) of the airsoft federations (they've been trying since 2006. EDIT: THEY'VE PROMISED THEY'LL RECOGNIZE THESE FEDERATIONS, HENCE LEGALIZING PLAYERS, IF NOT THEIR WEAPONS)

- Weapons must be of certified models, certification to be done by the national police director (you know how many different airsoft gun models there are, right?)

- Weapons must be painted in no less than 50% VOLUME (what about real firearms being painted in order to cast a moment of hesitation on a law enforcement officer?)

- Weapons must have an identifying number (we actually agree to this, coupled with a register for said numbers and players, but this has to be engraved as most models do not have any kind of a serial number on them. A speedy method to do this would have to be adopted)

- Prohibition of electronic commerce of airsoft weapons & equipment (Is this even legal in the EU context?)

- Import of airsoft weapons, even from within the Schengen space, requires a permit from the national police director

- Prohibition of the use of optical sight systems (How much more dangerous is an airsoft weapon with an airsoft replica red dot or a sight? Especially at the proposed 1.2 Joule limit?)

Still, with all these restrictions, with this proposal a 16 year old can now use a real firearm if they're accompannied by one of parents, without any licence. I feel so much safer now - I'm very glad I don't hunt. I think it will be very very risky to deal with teenage angst from now on

Edited by Gazaam, 26 September 2008 - 01:37 PM.

[UrPeaceKeeper]

I feel for you guys, honestly. I think the government needs to realize that laws prohibiting these kind of things really do nothing to stop crime. It's a crime for a reason. People in whatever walk of life that commit crime choose to do so and as a result DO NOT FOLLOW laws... thats what makes them a Criminal >< All that an out right ban does is makes the public feel safer by keeping honest people honest but it does nothing to combat the issue at hand which may or may not be releated to the use of a airsoft gun. I find it terribly ironic that in the US, Bill Clinton successfully passed an assault weapon (that word makes me cringe) ban in 1994, In 1997, 3 years after that the North Hollywood shoot out occured with what? Thats right, 2 AK47's classified under the ban as assault rifles and therefore illegal. Now... Did that law do anything? Obviously not.

Crime is so much more deep then the tools used to commit them. I really wish politicians would pull their collective heads out of their bums and see that you cant stop crime by putting more rules in places. You need to spend the money ( hard in these times I know) to actually combat crime at the principle level, in the home and on the streets and not in the law books.

If worse comes to worse, the US is not that bad of a place to live

[chas]

This looks all too similar with the british VCRA: high criminality-cant be stopped-lets pass a law that will make people feel safer, although it has next to nothing to do with the crimes comitted.

I would understand this if there were robberies and similar crimes perpetrated with airsoft guns in high numbers, but Im pretty sure this almost never happens.

Best thing you can do is get in touch with the people who tried to argue with the Home Office while the VCRA was beimng prepared and learn what you can do in Portugal.

Animo, amigos!

[Gazaam]

If worse comes to worse, the US is not that bad of a place to live

I hear you, I miss the time I spent working in California. But the food and wine here are soooo much better....

Edited by Gazaam, 26 September 2008 - 02:59 PM.

[jailhouse]

Gazaam, Still, with all these restrictions, with this proposal a 16 year old can now use a real firearm if they're accompannied by one of parents, without any licence. I feel so much safer now - I'm very glad I don't hunt. I think it will be very very risky to deal with teenage angst from now on

You took the words out of my mouth. Ironic in this day and age that a child with a plastic "gun" can become a criminal, yet put a high powered weapon in his hands and all is sweet!!!!

We had two incidents over here at Hungerford and Dunblane where quite a few kids and adults were killed and the Governments' knee jerk reaction was to ban all weapons "to reduce the violence on our streets" acccording to the the media spin. Needless to say, weapons were banned but gun crime is still on the increase on a larger scale than ever!

Now in this country (UK) the government are still trying to target the sirsoft community by spreading confusion and plain outright lies. Apparently airsofters can convert their gun into a "real bullet firing gun" scaring the public to death. Even though we have abided by all the proposals set by Government and rules imposed by ourselves, the Government have still created a opening for bad use by non airsofters allowing them to buy airsoft guns in bi approved colours. Nothing is to stop these people either altering the colour or "popping" off at the general public, but who will the Police, Media and Government blame? Us the legal Airsofter. Why? because it looks like they are taking positive action, ridiculous system.

It wont be too long before we too face a complete ban on these weapons of "mass destruction" in our country.

I hope you manage to keep the wolves away from your sport, and all the best for the future. Keep us informed please.

jh

[adiec]

You must fight hard against this as no good will come to your communities as a result. As our cousin from the US has statad, criminals by definition do not abide by laws. Laws only truely affect the law abiding as they are the ones who abide by them. In the UK, we are now in the rediculous situation that it is probably far easier to obtain an unlicenced firearm than it is to obtain, essentially a plastic toy which is incapable of causing anything other than a sting and possibly an oath!! After Dunblane, I was one who was villified and described on national TV by a famous former police chief inspector as a wierdo because I enjoyed pistol shooting. What difference has me surrendering my Smith and Wesson revolver to the police made to public safety and gun crime statistics? Absolutely none!! Perhaps if some of these thugs were shot dead by the police, then they may get the message that gun crime will come with a lethal response. But then of course, we will get the bleeding hearts complaning about violation of human rights. But I say obay the law. But please let the laws be sensible and above all enforced. On the other hand, I believe that I remember the late great Col. Jef Cooper say that an armed society is a polite society, and I am a big believer in this.
Fight hard, but be prepared to be treated unfarely and be treated as a politcal football, as the politicians will kick you arround to gain political capital.
Adie in the UK

[freebo]

Good luck guys!