Chants for equality by Proposition 8 protesters were met with a mix of friendly waves and rolling eyes from passers-by Saturday afternoon.Equal rights supporters united against California’s recently passed same-sex marriage ban outside Mestrovic Court near the Baton Rouge Governmental building downtown.”Proposition 8 was first an ideology that gays should not have equal rights as everyone else, and that’s a national issue,” said Isabel Blum, communication disorders junior and president of Spectrum, the student organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students and supporters. “People say we shouldn’t waste our breath, and it’s something we won’t win. But people said the same thing to Martin Luther King for African-American rights, and they said the same thing for women’s rights.”Protests against Proposition 8 were held nationwide and locally in New Orleans and Shreveport on Saturday. Blum said it was important to hold an event in Baton Rouge so students would not have to travel to protest.Protester James Hostetter, physics junior, said he did not expect to see a protest in Baton Rouge.”It’s just a matter of showing support because if people don’t know there is a strong movement against Proposition 8, then nothing is ever going to change,” he said.Hostetter said the passing of Proposition 8 goes against what America stands for.”America is about equality for everybody, and if we’re not constantly pushing toward more freedom, then we’ll stagnate,” he said. “If you deny freedom to one group then you essentially give the government clearance to deny freedom to every other group.”It is the legal rights aspect of Proposition 8, not a religious one, being demanded, said Rachel O’Pry, history junior.”I feel like since I pay taxes, and I’m an American citizen, I don’t see why I don’t have the same rights,” she said.Members of Metropolitan Community Church, Capital City Alliance and Blum gave speeches on the importance of justice and equality in front of a crowd of about 20 protesters, though people came and went throughout the three-hour protest.”It gives people hope that there are actually enough people to come out here and do this,” Blum said.—-Contact Margy Looney at [email protected]