“What do we want? Equality! When do we want it? Now!"
Reacting to Wednesday morning's news that California's Prop. 8 has likely passed and eliminated same-sex marriage in the state, a crowd of some 2,000 protesters took to the streets Wednesday evening, marching down West Hollywood's Sunset Strip and backing up traffic for blocks.
In Hollywood at least two other groups marched in protest. One group marched more than two miles from West Hollywood to Hollywood, passing the CNN tower and the Arclight theater. Another group took to the Hollywood and Highland shopping complex. Local news crews are reporting that a few arrests have been made. Los Angeles's CW affiliate reported that three police officers had taken their billy clubs to a man who jumped on the hood of a cop car.
Though some 3 million provisional and absentee ballots have yet to be counted, Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center CEO Lorri Jean, at a rally preceding the march, advised against false hopes. In all likelihood, she said, Yes on 8 has won.
No on 8 and Equality California called the rally to thank volunteers for their support and assure the community the fight would carry on.
But the crowd appeared angry and frustrated, with much of that anger directed at the Mormon Church, which provided the bulk of funding for the Yes on 8 campaign. Several attempts to get the crowd to block traffic on Santa Monica Blvd. failed as speakers including Jean and city council member John Duran addressed the crowd.
When the speaking ended, the angry and motivated crowd marched out of central West Hollywood and up the hill to Sunset Blvd. A police escort led the crowd of some 2,000 people nearly a mile through the main drag of West Hollywood's Sunset Strip, the city's central hub for dining and nightlife.
With traffic backed up, people were honking, cheering and offering high fives of support to the crowd as marchers wove in between stopped cars. People poured onto restaurant balconies to take photos, some even leaving their meals to join the march.
The occasional driver sat stuck in traffic and watched silently, but no one seemed to outwardly oppose the peaceful protest.
At one point, marchers began to sit down in the middle of a busy intersection. It lasted all of two minutes before No on 8 volunteers urged people to keep moving and “stay visible.”
Earlier, a smaller group took off mid rally and headed for Hollywood. That group grew throughout the evening and eventually split into two.
Reports are coming in of similar marches in San Diego and San Francisco, where thousands marched on City Hall holding candles.
“It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen,” said one man who joined the Sunset Strip march after seeing it from his apartment balcony, fighting back tears. “We may not have won today, but we will soon. I know it.” (Ross von Metzke, The Advocate)
- Click here for more on the Los Angeles protests.
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