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Thousands Rally in Selma and Montgomery After Supreme Court Voting Rights Ruling

Organizers framed the protest as the start of a turnout push to counter new maps.

People bow in prayer at Tabernacle Baptist Church during the National Day of Action for Voting Rights - All Roads Lead to the South event held in Selma, Alabama on Saturday May 16, 2026.
Brenda Cummings, of Montgomery, Ala., protests outside the state house during a special session of the Alabama Legislature, Monday, May 4, 2026, in Montgomery, Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
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A protestor stands outside the South Carolina Statehouse on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Overview

  • The All Roads Lead to the South mobilization, which drew thousands Saturday in Selma and Montgomery, included a prayer service, a silent walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and a rally at the Alabama State Capitol.
  • The events answered the April 29 Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by shifting the focus to proof of intent rather than discriminatory effects.
  • Following the ruling, GOP-led states began redrawing districts, and Alabama moved to use its 2023 map while keeping the May 19 primary but voiding results in four districts and scheduling a special primary for Aug. 11.
  • Montgomery authorities tightened security for the rally, with the county sheriff saying local police coordinated with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and U.S. Capitol Police to protect attendees.
  • Speakers and civil-rights groups urged a pivot to voter education and turnout as lawsuits continue, warning the map changes could cut Black representation in Congress and in state and local offices across the South.