# Thousands rally in Alabama against voting rights ruling  
**Published:** 2026-05-17T23:51:53.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/17/repub/thousands-attend-protests-in-selma-and-montgomery-for-voting-rights/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/thousands-rally-in-alabama-against-voting-rights-ruling

Thousands of activists, faith leaders and Democratic politicians gathered in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday for what organizers called the "All Roads Lead to the South" campaign, a national day of action aimed at challenging Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps in the wake of a major Supreme Court decision weakening voting rights protections.

The demonstrations, which drew more than 5,000 people to Montgomery's afternoon rally alone, came weeks after [the Supreme Court issued its decision in Louisiana v. Callais on April 29](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-109_21o3.pdf), a 6-3 ruling that civil rights advocates say has gutted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The decision [significantly reworked the legal framework for challenging discriminatory voting maps](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/louisiana-v-callais), making it harder for voters of color to challenge redistricting under Section 2 of the landmark law.

The timing of the rallies was deliberate. The events unfolded in historic locations from the civil rights era—particularly Selma, where voting rights marchers were attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965, an assault that ultimately spurred Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. Hundreds marched silently across the same bridge Saturday morning after faith leaders gathered at Tabernacle Baptist Church for prayers and speeches.

"Our democracy is on the line," said Victor Coar, who traveled from Birmingham. "Our rights are on the line. They are trying to take it all away."

The Supreme Court's Callais decision has already triggered rapid action across the South. [On May 11, the Supreme Court vacated previous orders blocking Alabama from using a congressional map it had ruled racially discriminatory](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-243_f20h.pdf), prompting Gov. Kay Ivey to call special primary elections in four congressional districts for August.

The Alabama decision particularly threatens the re-election prospects of U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, according to court filings and reporting. [Tennessee Republicans have already drawn and passed a new map eliminating their state's sole majority-minority House district](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_v._Callais), while [Florida legislators passed a redistricting bill increasing Republican-controlled districts](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/louisiana-v-callais).

At the Montgomery rally, speakers including Bernice King, daughter of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of the King Center, drew parallels between the current moment and the civil rights era. "Today we return to the very grounds where my parents and freedom families stood, when Black voter registration was scarce, when discrimination was the norm, and when violence was the price for seeking dignity," King said.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, told the crowd that inherited freedoms come with obligations. "A lot of people are drinking deeply from wells of freedom and liberty that they did not dig," he said.

[A federal court is scheduled to hold a hearing Friday](https://alabamareflector.com/2026/05/15/federal-court-sets-may-22-hearing-on-new-alabama-congressional-map/) in Alabama's ongoing Allen v. Milligan redistricting case, which remains in active litigation despite the Supreme Court's recent action.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/17/repub/thousands-attend-protests-in-selma-and-montgomery-for-voting-rights/)
- [Supreme Court Louisiana v. Callais decision (April 29, 2026)](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-109_21o3.pdf)
- [Brennan Center analysis of Louisiana v. Callais](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/louisiana-v-callais)
- [Supreme Court order on Alabama redistricting (May 11, 2026)](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-243_f20h.pdf)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/17/repub/thousands-attend-protests-in-selma-and-montgomery-for-voting-rights/.