Same-sex marriage protestors stop traffic

An unidentfied same sex marriage advocate is held by San Francisco police after the California State Supreme Court ruled in San Francisco. An unidentfied same sex marriage advocate is held by San Francisco police after the California State Supreme Court ruled in San Francisco. Photo: Paul Sakuma, AP Photo: Paul Sakuma, AP Image 1 of / 59 Caption Close Same-sex marriage protestors stop traffic 1 / 59 Back to Gallery

Hundreds of demonstrators converged on the steps of City Hall this evening and later blocked traffic on Market Street after speakers urged protesters to channel their anger and rage over the Supreme Court's ruling to uphold Proposition 8.

"This is our chance, right here and right now, in the streets together to make a difference," said Lea Brown, a speaker from Metropolitan Community Church.

Earlier in the day, police arrested more than 100 protesters blocking Van Ness Avenue near the Civic Center after giving the chanting, sign-waving crowd more than an hour to vent its anger and sadness. Many of those arrested were released in time to return for the evening event.

All day, the opponents of Prop. 8 far outnumbered the supporters who gathered in San Francisco. However, several conservative groups issued statements that promised to fight any efforts to change the state constitution to allow same-sex marriages once again.

Shortly after noon, officers began arresting anti-Prop. 8 protesters, starting with clergy members. The arrests went so smoothly they seemed choreographed - which in a way they almost were, considering the police and protest organizers had been talking for days to make sure everything went smoothly and peacefully.

"It's the right thing to do," Rabbi Sydney Mintz of Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco said of her decision to protest Prop. 8, shortly before she was led off with wrists tied.

The first group of protesters were booked at the jail and then released at about 2:45 p.m., more than two hours after being arrested.

Mintz received her citation and was back on the street by 6 p.m., this time with her 8-year-old son Gabe Newbrun-Mintz, who said his mother's arrest was "sad."

But she stayed in the street "so that they would know she was serious about the civil rights," he said.

Mintz said, "The police handled it very, very well and I think we made our point."

Itai Bojdak-Wates, also 8, was also at the post-school, evening protest at City Hall, alongside his two moms.

"Prop. 8 was decided that it was OK and we want to protest that it's not OK," he said. "It's stopping people who want to marry from marrying."

At about 6:30 p.m., the evening protesters started to march, with a scheduled destination of Yerba Buena Gardens.

Trailing at the back of the procession was the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band. As they marched past the California Supreme Court building, protected along the front by police, the band launched into a rendition of Al Jolson's, "California Here I Come."

A large group of protesters then broke off and started a separate march up Market Street to the Castro neighborhood, where they took over the intersection of Castro and Market streets, blocking traffic. Police did not appear to be making arrests.The march continued what had been a long day for protesters.

The only tense moment came at about 1 p.m. when pro-Prop. 8 demonstrator Chancey Killens, a minister from Salinas, began trying to address the crowd through a bullhorn. All he got out before being surrounded by angry protesters were the words: "We need to respect the homosexual community ..."

About 30 demonstrators continued to shout him down for several minutes until police officers came and moved him up Van Ness to McAllister Street. There, away from the main protest, he debated a same-sex protest group that followed him.

"We don't hate homosexuals, we just disagree with them," he said after the debate dissipated. He said he came "to celebrate" the Prop. 8 ruling and "to share my free speech."

Aleada Minton of San Francisco was one of the loudest trying to drown Killens out with her voice and a harmonica. "I don't care what their dissenting opinion is," she said. "I don't need to hear it."

Reactions from political and community leaders to the ruling were swift and stark, and seemed to mostly condemn the ruling.

Mayor Gavin Newsom promised to work to overturn Prop. 8, and in a statement urged every Californian to "please talk to a lesbian or gay family member, neighbor or co-worker and ask them why equality in the eyes of the law is important to every Californian."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement saying that while he believed "one day either the people or courts will recognize gay marriage," as governor he has to uphold the court's decision.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera and advocates for same-sex marriage gathered in the South Light Court at City Hall to say that same-sex marriage will become reality in California someday - but will happen at the ballot box, not inside a courtroom and will take the hard work of everyday citizens, not lawyers.

"Our official role ends here - this fight remains in capable hands with all of you," Herrera said, adding that when couples regain their right to marry, he hopes they return to where the marriages began five years ago. "You'll all invited back to City Hall because that celebration belongs here."

The conservative Pacific Justice Institute issued a statement applauding the court's support for Prop. 8 and predicting that "more litigation over several years" may yet undercut the simultaneous ruling upholding the 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place before the statewide vote.

"Today's decision is a victory for democracy and a victory for the civil rights of clergy, county clerks and Californians across the political spectrum who did not want to be forced by the government to approve of same-sex marriage," institute President Brad Dacus said in a statement.

He urged his pro-Prop. 8 colleagues to remain vigilant, saying, "The bully tactics and intimidation used by the gay-rights lobby during the Prop. 8 campaign showed us that they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals."

Yana Kulinich was with a group of students from American River College in Sacramento who drove in to support Prop. 8.

"I'm really happy that Prop. 8 was upheld, but I was just told by somebody that she's going to harass me until the day I die," Kulinich said. "Now I'm really concerned for my safety.

"I didn't expect that," she said. "I'm shaking right now."