The Keep Canberra Open campaign has announced it will hold a rally in Civic to protest the introduction of "lock out laws in disguise".
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The rally has been timed to coincide with a sitting of the ACT Legislative Assembly, during which the rally organisers say the government plans to introduce alcohol licensing reforms.
While chief minister Andrew Barr has ruled out lock-out laws, in April, the government proposed 3am last drinks for bars and nightclubs with the possibility of allowing venues to serve later if they pay a massively increased licence fee.
The Keep Canberra Open campaign calls the proposals "lock out laws in disguise", and said they will "send patrons out onto the streets at 3am, with no plan as to how to police or manage the fallout."
Speaking at the rally later this month will be Keep Sydney Open's Tyson Koh, who will be joined with performances from Peking Duk and Hands Like Houses, organisers say.
The campaign organisers, a collective of DJs, performers, venue owners and bar staff, say the proposals could mean the end of their businesses without actually addressing the cause of violence.
"There's really a culture here that's being overlooked," Ryan Sabet, partner at Academy and Mr Wolf and a spokesman for the Keep Canberra Open campaign said.
"The biggest thing that frustrates us is not the government's motives - which are good - it's that they really don't understand what they're about to do and that dangers of what they about to do."
They suggest alternatives, such as improved late night transport and increased security late in the evenings and argue that to legislate closing times would push the drinking scene "underground" and out of the hands of experienced operators.
The Keep Canberra Open rally will meet at Garema Place on Saturday, July 30 at 12.00pm and march along Alinga Street, to Northbourne Avenue and London Circuit.
The rally will finish at the ACT Legislative Assembly where organisers will present a signed petition to opposition leader Jeremy Hanson.
A spokeswoman for attorney-general Simon Corbell said the ACT government was still considering its preferred policy position.
"The Government is considering responses received from the community during public consultation of the liquor reforms white paper.
"Three AM last drinks is one of a number of proposals that has been the subject of community consultation. The Government is finalising its preferred policy position ahead of the August sittings."
