Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Jesse Vasquez/Special to the State Hornet Supporters and opponents of Proposition 8 gathered at the State Capitol Wednesday night and Thursday morning to debate the passing of the measure. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jesse Vasquez/Special to the State Hornet [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jesse Vasquez/Special to the State Hornet The Sacramento Police Department briefly detained three supporters of the initiative after fights broke out. [Click to enlarge]

For the second night in a row, opponents of Proposition 8, the initiative banning same-sex marriage in the state, rallied at the State Capitol to voice their opposition on the measure.

By 7:30 p.m., more than 600 people gathered on the west steps of the Capitol to protest. The display was part of a day of protests throughout the state, including a march by thousands of gay-rights activists in Los Angeles targeting a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple.

Hilary Hodge, president of the Sacramento chapter of the National Organization for Woman, helped secure the permit for the rally at the Capitol this evening. She said the protests across the state have been grass-roots efforts and not coordinated by any official organizations that campaigned against the measure.

"People are outraged by (the passage of Proposition 8)," Hodge said. "They need to feel like people are listening to them."

She said word of protest events have spread through word of mouth, e-mail and text messaging. Hodge said her organization only helped secure the permits for the rally at the Capitol so protesters would have a place for their voices to be heard.

There were weren't more than 20 supporters of Proposition 8 present, unlike Wednesday night where more than 150 supporters turned up at the Capitol to confront anti-Proposition 8 activists.

Proposition 8 supporter Steven Berg said he came to the Capitol to support traditional marriage.

"I am here to show (Proposition 8 opponents) we will not back down," he said.

Fellow Proposition 8 supporter Yuriy Avestisov added, "They want a fight, we'll give them a fight."

California Highway Patrol and Sacramento City Police officers kept counter protesters well away from the rally.

Keith Troy with the California Highway Patrol said it is their policy during a protest to keep both sides of an issue apart to prevent violence.

Around 8:30 p.m. anti-Proposition 8 protesters left the Capitol to march through the streets of downtown Sacramento. As they marched they chanted, "What do we want? Equality! When do we want it? Now!"

John Hayden, the current Mr. Gay Sacramento who also attended Wednesday night's protest, said activists were protesting in order to keep their civil rights.

"This is not about homosexuality," he said. "It is about a civil right and not being treated like second class citizens."

People cheered on the protesters as they marched through downtown and many people joined the march as it wound its way down J Street to 21st Street and then back to the State Capitol.

By the time the marchers made their way back to the Capitol just before 10 p.m., the crowd had swelled to nearly a thousand protesters. By this time the small group of counter protesters had dispersed.

Hodge used a bullhorn to inform the crowd that people were trying to secure permits for rallies again tomorrow and Saturday at the Capitol. Proposition 8 opponents already have a rally scheduled at the Capitol for Sunday afternoon. Hodge told the crowd that the goal for that event is to have tens of thousands of people from around California converge at the Capitol.

Proposition 8 opponent Wil Trivett attended both last night and this evening's protests and said he planned to continue protesting.

"This state and our nation were founded on fair rules. We need to use that to our advantage," Trivett said. "I will come out every day if I have to (in order to) achieve equality."

Check back for more updates on Proposition 8 and the protests at statehornet.com

Todd Wilson can be reached at twilson@statehornet.com

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