WASHINGTON—Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28 to rally for minority voting rights and other social issues ranging from immigration to labor unions ahead of the upcoming 2026 midterms.
The Defend the Vote rally came on the 63-year anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s demonstration at the same spot, where the civil rights leader delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
King’s 1963 march—also focused on civil and workers’ rights—drew hundreds of thousands to the nation’s capitol. A much more modest crowd showed up on Friday.
Organizers Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III said the event was motivated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to limit application of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which forbids states from passing voting laws that discriminate by race.
Some have portrayed that as an attempt to gut the Voting Rights Act and dilute the influence of black voters.
“We must turn this country upside down with those elected officials that are taking from us the right to vote,” Sharpton told the crowd. “The Callais decision by the Supreme Court shot a bullet in the heart of voting rights. But they don’t understand we’re not going back.”
The rally was also intended to draw attention to affordable healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion concerns, Sharpton said. But the signs carried by attendees reflected a spectrum of other topics, such as immigrant rights, African-American and Jewish relations, and LGBT issues.
“Today, we have a president who, along with the Supreme Court members he appointed, is carrying out the most significant assault on voting rights since segregation, targeting virtually every aspect of the electoral system,” Sanders said.
Sanders referenced Trump’s recent efforts to limit mail-in voting and his attempts to strip noncitizens from state voter rolls before pivoting to other progressive issues such as minimum wage increases, campaign finance reforms, and a “situation in which a handful of big tech oligarchs push their AI agenda down the throats of the American people.”
Some attendees who spoke to The Epoch Times also voiced frustration with the current administration and the makeup of the Supreme Court.
“You know, if we don’t overturn [recent Supreme Court decisions], or if we don’t get control of at least the House or Senate, the damage will continue to escalate,” Gerald Murray said, holding a sign that read “Shame on SCOTUS.”
A 68-year-old former administrator who called herself Miss Jones told The Epoch Times she was frustrated with the government’s foreign policy and its response to illegal immigration.
“I want to make sure the message is clear that when civil rights, when voting rights, when basic human rights are taken away from one race or group of people, they’re taken away from all people,” she said.
Rolph Tobia, who said he attended King’s marches since he was two years old, said Friday’s demonstration was “not about black and white,” it was about restoring unity in the country. He also wanted to attend because his father couldn’t be there.
“I come to keep my family legacy going,” he said.