Jason Bernabe grabbed his large rainbow-colored flag early in the afternoon on Tuesday, waving it tirelessly as he marched along Wilshire Boulevard.
He marched in hopes of one day having a wedding of his own, he said.
Bernabe, a first-year nursing student, waved his flag high among more than 100 students who rallied in response to the California Supreme Court’s decision earlier that morning to uphold Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages in the state.
The court also ruled that the 18,000 couples married before the passing of the proposition would remain legal.
Some student activists were upset over the decision.
Dave Valk, director of Won Together, a student-run civil rights organization on campus, helped organize the protest, which started rallying students together at Bruin Plaza at 4 p.m. and continued their march toward the Federal Building.
Several students arrived wearing shirts declaring, “My love is legit,” which Saritha Kosarussavadi, a second-year physiological science student, said she helped make the previous night. Kosarussavadi said making the shirts was among activities planned for students leading up to the highly anticipated court decision.
“It means love is love, regardless of sexual orientation,” Kosarussavadi said, referring to the phrase on her shirt.
Students who were interested in participating in the rally were notified by text messages and e-mails from Won Together organizers.
As 4:30 p.m. approached, students crowded the plaza steps and chanted phrases such as, “Gay, straight, black, white, marriage is a civil right,” and, “The people united will never be divided.”
Students were escorted by police from Westwood to Wilshire Boulevards, waving their handmade signs. Cars honked in the street and the marchers continued to yell chants as they sat down in the middle of the bustling intersection, blocking traffic.
Proposition 8 was passed in November by a 52-percent vote. The proposition amends California constitution to only legally recognize marriage between a man and a woman.
Though the overwhelming majority of protesters were against the court’s ruling, some attendees did express support for it.
Steven Severance, a first-year political science student, said he agreed with the court’s decision to uphold Proposition 8.
However, he added that he did not support the proposition and attended to show support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Valk continued to march along Wilshire, leading some protestors to other parts of Los Angeles.
“We are calling on President Obama to take federal action to create real change now,” Valk said, explaining the choice of marching to the Federal Building.
The group called for an amendment to the civil rights act to include protection based on gender and sexual orientation.
Valk said he believes the issue is not only about marriage, but of civil rights.
He added that all people should be allowed the same rights.
“We should have all or none: Either we all get married or we all don’t,” said Allison Mannos, a third-year Asian American studies student who attended the rally.
Many of the students and activists continued to march on further from Westwood. They joined thousands more at the larger West Hollywood protest on Santa Monica and San Vicente Boulevards.
Police allowed the marchers to walk in the street and sit in some of the intersections.
Marchers continued flashing signs and chanting, “We want equality now” to the mass of cars in the streets, as the evening progressed and protesters greeted rush-hour traffic.
At one point, some attendees tried to continue walking in the street when law enforcement officials asked them to stop and brought out batons.
No action was taken, and the marchers agreed to move back to the sidewalk.
By 7:30 p.m. marchers had completely converged with the West Hollywood protest, where Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other celebrity supporters were, including Drew Barrymore and Kathy Griffin, who also expressed opposition to the court’s ruling.
Valk said Won Together also plans to have another protest today at the Beverly Hilton on Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards, where President Barack Obama will speak at a fundraiser at 6 p.m. Valk said he encourages interested students to attend.