Hundreds of thousands of people nationwide – including 1,500 in downtown Sacramento – rallied on Saturday against Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban narrowly approved by California voters this month.

Saturday's coordinated rallies – organizers said they had received word that protests were set in 300 cities worldwide – were advertised as efforts to peacefully reach out to the general public about gay rights.

"We are now a nation determined," Christine Allen, an organizer with Marriage Equality Now, told a crowd that gathered in Cesar Chavez Park, across from Sacramento's City Hall.

"When you leave here today, I want you to seek out every person you know that is not registered to vote. Go to people and have a heartfelt discussion on marriage equality," Allen said.

The rallies amplified a continuing debate over same-sex marriage that Prop. 8 did not silence.

Since the measure was approved, overturning a California Supreme Court ruling, scattered incidents of vandalism have been reported and several people – including the artistic director of the California Musical Theatre – have been targeted because of their contributions to the ballot measure.

Crowds gathered near public buildings in small communities and major cities throughout California, from Chico to Los Angeles. Gatherings also were reported in New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

"Civil marriages are a civil right, and we're going to keep fighting until we get the rights we deserve as American citizens," Karen Amico said in Philadelphia, holding up a sign reading "Don't Spread H8."

"We are the American family, we live next door to you, we teach your children, we take care of your elderly," said Heather Baker, a special education teacher who addressed a crowd at Boston's City Hall Plaza. "We need equal rights across the country."

Saturday's protests were widely reported as peaceful. The mood in Boston was upbeat, with attendees dancing to the song "Respect." Signs cast the fight for gay marriage as a civil rights movement, including one that read "Gay is the new black."

But anger over the ban and its backers were nonetheless evident at the protests. One sign in Chicago read: "Catholic Fascists Stay Out of Politics."

Seattle blogger Amy Balliett said she started planning Saturday's protests three days after the Nov. 4 election, setting up the Web site www.jointheimpact.com.

"If we can move anybody past anger and have a respectful conversation, then you can plant the seed of change," Balliett told the Associated Press.

Before Saturday's demonstrations, Balliett told The Bee she estimated that as many as 1 million people would participate, based on responses at Web sites her group had established.

The Sacramento rally, under a sea of protest signs and banners, started with a cheer at 10:30 a.m. Music kicked off the event, and about a dozen speakers took the microphone, including outgoing Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, who implored the crowd to sustain the effort.

The counterpoint was across the street: With police standing nearby, 14 supporters of Prop. 8 stood quietly, holding signs of their own.

"I'm out here to ensure our government officials and the courts uphold Proposition 8," said Luke Otterstad, who last month aided the push for a vote by American River College's Student Association to endorse the measure.

Craig DeLuz, president of the Sacramento Republican Assembly, said the issue had been settled by voters.

"The people of California have spoken – twice," he said. He rejected the characterization of marriage rights for same-sex couples as a civil rights issue. "As an African-American male it offends me."

But West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, a Filipino American who two years ago told constituents he's gay, made just that comparison.

In addressing the rally, he said that just as the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott wasn't just about a seat on the bus, Saturday's protest wasn't just about marriage. It was about equality, Cabaldon said.

"Two rallies does not lead to social equality," he said. "We have to commit to the next week and the next week and the next week."

The Sacramento rally ended at 12:30 p.m. with a march around City Hall, down Ninth Street, and around the Capitol.

In a sign this issue isn't likely to be settled soon, organizers promised another rally in Sacramento next weekend.

Participants of the Saturday rally said the event also reinvigorated their drive to reverse what they said were recent, similar setbacks for gay rights in Florida, Arizona and Arkansas.

Connecticut, which began same-sex weddings this past week, and Massachusetts are the only two states that allow gay marriage. The other 48 states do not, and 30 have taken the extra step of approving constitutional amendments. A few states allow civil unions or domestic partnerships that grant some rights of marriage.

"Social justice doesn't come in a straight line," Cabaldon said.

Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269. The Associated Press contributed to this report.