Thousands March In SF Protest Against Prop. 8

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ― Thousands of protesters angered by the passage of a state measure banning gay marriage marched through downtown San Francisco during rush hour Friday evening, carrying signs and snarling traffic.

The crowd marched down Market Street to Delores Park to voice their angst over the passage of Proposition 8, which amends the California Constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman.

Protest organizers splashed the information about the demonstration on Web sites such as Yelp and Facebook to draw the huge crowd.

The protesters made their way southwest on Market Street towards Castro Street and around 6 p.m. some joined hands across Market Street at Ninth Street. The barrier stopped traffic, causing honks from vehicles, some in support and others in an urgency to get past.

Walking with a sign that reads "You gave rights to chickens and took away rights from human beings," 42-year-old Lisa Davis of Alameda said she planned on proposing marriage to her same-sex partner during the march.

Police could not immediately say if anyone had been arrested, but officers were keeping an eye on the protest in hopes it would remain peaceful.

Proposition 8 passed Tuesday by a slim margin, overriding a ruling by the California Supreme Court in May that briefly gave same-sex couples the right to wed. Thousands of gay couples were married following the ruling.

Meanwhile, gay rights groups and same-sex marriage proponents have filed three court challenges against the Prop. 8 ban.

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