Thousands of people rallied Saturday in Alabama to protest recent changes to voting rights protections and congressional redistricting that civil rights groups say threaten Black political representation. The demonstration began in Selma and moved to the state Capitol in Montgomery.

The rally was organized in response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving Louisiana that further weakened voting rights law, following a 2013 decision that had already limited federal oversight of election changes. These rulings have enabled states to implement stricter voter ID laws, registration restrictions, and limits on early voting.

LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, said the changes represent "a full-fledged, coordinated attack on Black political power that can actually reshape the entire political landscape, not just on the South but throughout the nation."

Montgomery is home to Alabama's 2nd Congressional District, which became a focal point of redistricting litigation. A federal court in 2023 redrew the district after ruling that Alabama had diluted Black voting power, creating a district where Black voters could elect their preferred candidate. However, the Supreme Court has cleared the way for a different map that could change the district's composition.

Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, who won election in the district in 2024, said the dispute centers on people's opportunity for representation. Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, a Republican, said the Louisiana ruling provided an opportunity to revisit the court-imposed map.

Civil rights veterans expressed concern about the speed of recent changes to voting protections. Kirk Carrington, 75, who participated in the 1965 Selma march, said it was "appalling" that the same fights continue more than 60 years later. The state plans special primaries for August 11 under the new congressional map while litigation continues.