San Francisco police arrested about 175 protesters who were part of a group that blocked a major intersection for hours today in response to the state Supreme Court's ruling upholding Proposition 8, the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. Hundreds of people filled the intersection of Grove Street and Van Ness Avenue late this morning after word spread of the ruling. The court also ruled that roughly 18,000 existing same-sex marriages in California remain valid.
Around 12:45 p.m., officers were seen placing plastic handcuffs on protesters and leading them to police vans waiting nearby. With each new arrest, the crowd cheered.
Police Sgt. Lyn Tomioka said the protesters were arrested for being outside a crosswalk and failing to obey an officer. Tomioka said she was not aware of any injuries related to the protest.
As of mid-afternoon the intersection had been cleared and traffic was moving through normally.
A separate gathering was planned for 5 p.m. today by the group Marriage Equality. Tomioka said police will maintain a high profile during that protest, which included a planned march from City Hall to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial at Yerba Buena Gardens.
The state Supreme Court by a 6-1 vote today upheld Proposition 8, passed by California voters in November. The initiative was approved by 52 percent of voters as an amendment to the state Constitution.
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