Thousands of protesters in U.S. cities piled pressure on Federal lawmakers on Saturday to counter a wave of voting rights restrictions in Republican-led states.

The protesters rallied in Washington and other U.S. cities to demand protections for voting rights.

The protests came on the eve of the 58th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1963 March on Washington.

Organizers of the ‘March On For Washington And Voting Rights’ stressed that the moves to curb voting access would disproportionately affect people of color.

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In Washington, protesters holding ‘Black Lives Matter’ flags and signs calling for federal legislation marched from McPherson Square to the final meeting point at the National Mall, where a series of civil rights leaders delivered remarks not far from where King gave his iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech 58 years ago.

More than 20,000 people participated in the march, the Rev. Al Sharpton estimated in a Twitter post. Rallies also took place in Phoenix, Miami and dozens of other cities.

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 and longtime congressman John Lewis, was approved in the U.S. House of Representatives this week but faces poor prospects in the Senate due to rules that allow a minority to block legislation. read more

Lewis’ youngest brother urged Republican senators to put aside partisanship and pass the law, saying that fundamental rights secured in the 1960’s were at stake.

‘Just think, 58 years later we are still fighting for those same rights. Something about that just don’t sound right,’ Grant Lewis told the crowd.

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