WASHINGTON: Civil rights activists marched in Washington on Friday in a defiant show of opposition to Republican redistricting and restrictions on voting being pushed by President Donald Trump ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The “Defend the Vote” rally brought protesters to the National Mall 63 years to the day after Martin Luther King Jr delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech during the landmark 1963 March on Washington.

Organised by veteran civil rights leader Al Sharpton and led by King’s son Martin Luther King III, the demonstration drew support from more than 90 civil rights, labor, faith and community organizations.

Prominent speakers included Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and left-wing Senator Bernie Sanders.

‘Defend the Vote’ rally coincides with 63rd anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s 1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ speech

“The fact that we still have to fight to maintain and renew voting rights in this country is beyond abysmal and a truly national disgrace,” King III told a crowd of a few hundred at Washington’s Lincoln Memorial.

Organisers say voting rights are under their most serious threat in decades following a Supreme Court ruling in April that weakened protections under the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The decision cleared the way for Republican-led states in the South to redraw congressional districts in ways civil rights groups say dilute the political influence of Black voters.

“There are many strategies right now to limit our voting rights, but we’re not going to stop,” Alotta Taylor, vice chair for the National Council of Negro Women, said. “We’re going to push forward. We’re not going to let that happen.”

The demonstration also comes amid an escalating legal fight over Trump’s attempt to tighten rules governing mail-in voting.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2026