Several Gay Marriage Ban Protesters Arrested in Clashes With Police in California
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Seven people were arrested Thursday during ongoing protests in Los Angeles and San Francisco against California's passage of a ban on gay marriage.
LAPD Officer Jason Lee said the marchers were mostly peaceful in the demonstration against Proposition 8 that began Wednesday night in West Hollywood and continued into Thursday morning.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Four people were taken into custody at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland when they tried to cross a line of officers.
Two more protesters were arrested in West Hollywood for disturbing the peace and another for public drunkenness, according to Sheriff's Sgt. Kristin Aloma.
She said that one deputy had minor injuries when he was hit by a car as he prepared to close an intersection before protesters arrived.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Demonstrators marched Wednesday night through West Hollywood, Hollywood and Santa Monica. Several stopped at busy intersections and blocked traffic, prompting police intervention.
An additional group of about 500 protesters gathered near CNN's Los Angeles bureau, where they were seen banging on the doors and walls.
The demonstrations caused the Los Angeles Police Department to declare a tactical alert — one requiring all available officers, including some from other precincts, to respond.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Television cameras showed one protester jumping on top of a police car at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland avenues. He was quickly wrestled to the ground by police and handcuffed.
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In San Francisco, hundreds gathered Wednesday night on the steps of City Hall to protest approval of the ban.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Demonstrators held candles and carried signs that read "We All Deserve the Freedom to Marry" as part of the event, sponsored by groups opposed to Proposition 8.
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San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom expressed frustration with the ban, but said he is hopeful it will be overturned in court.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The loss was a political defeat for Newsom, who's been one of the most prominent advocates of same-sex marriage. However, he believed the effect on his gubernatorial aspirations is "trivial" and "irrelevant."
City attorneys of Los Angeles and San Francisco, along with the American Civil Liberties Union, filed requests for the state Supreme Court to overturn the gay marriage ban on Wednesday.
Meg Waters, part of the Yes on 8 campaign team, told City News Service, "gay and lesbian couples have exactly the same protections under the law with civil unions."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Marriage has been defined as a man and woman since time began," Waters said. "The people of California have voted twice, so I think the best thing to do is for everybody involved to figure out a way to move forward."
Waters said she understands "how gays and lesbians may feel concerned about this."
"If they stop and look at the situation, they have the exact same legal protections and rights under the law today they had yesterday," Waters said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"You can't change the definition of something that existed forever because you don't like it."
The Yes on 8 campaign has "a great deal of compassion for gay and lesbian couples and support completely their right to live as they choose, whether it's in a committed relationship and a domestic partnership or however they choose," Waters said.
"We don't believe that Proposition 8 hinders that at all," Waters said. "We're hoping very much to rebuild bridges to that community at some point."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.