WASHINGTON,Aug 29,2021: Thousands of protesters rallied in Washington and other U.S. cities on Saturday to demand protections for voting rights, aiming to pressure lawmakers to pass legislation to counter a wave of ballot restrictions in Republican-led states.
Held on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1963 March on Washington, organizers of the “March On for Voting Rights” say the state-level moves to curb voting access disproportionately affect people of color.
In Washington, protesters holding “Black Lives Matter” flags and signs calling for federal legislation marched from McPherson Square toward the final meeting point at the National Mall, where King gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech 58 years ago.
Activist Carolyn Ruff, 74, said she made the trip from Chicago to Washington to push for the passage of a federal law that would restore key protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed discriminatory voting practices.
The bill, named after the late civil rights hero John Lewis, was approved in the U.S. House of Representatives this week but faces poor prospects in the Senate because of rules there that allow a minority to block legislation.
Demonstrators hold signs during a march for voting rights, marking the 58th anniversary of the March on Washington, Aug. 28, 2021, in Washington.
Lewis’ youngest brother urged Republican senators to put aside partisanship and pass the law, saying that fundamental rights secured in the 1960s were at stake.
