SAN FRANCISCO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- California 's highest court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages Tuesday but allowed about 18,000 unions performed before the ban to remain valid . Protesters gather outside the California Supreme Court in San Francisco on Tuesday . Supporters of November ballot initiative Proposition 8 hailed the ruling , but about 1,000 advocates of same-sex marriages who gathered outside the court building in San Francisco met the 6-1 decision with chants of `` Shame on you . '' Following the ruling , supporters of same-sex marriage took to the streets to protest . CNN affiliate KGO reported that after the opinion was made public lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender officers were brought in specifically to help manage the crowd . During those protests 159 adults and three juveniles were arrested and cited for jaywalking , San Francisco Police Department Sgt. Lyn Tomioka told CNN . Similar rallies were held Tuesday evening in Los Angeles , where 3,500 to 5,000 protesters took part , according to police estimates . There were no arrests , said Julianne Sohn of the Los Angeles Police Department . There were also reports of demonstrations in San Diego and some other California cities , as well as in major cities nationwide . iReport.com : Rally in San Diego Lisa Angelot and Karen Brandenberger were married when it was legal , but they said their own marriage is not enough , and told KGO they were prepared to be arrested to make the point . `` It will be my first time to be arrested , '' Angelot told KGO . Many supporters said it was most upsetting to have the right to marry yanked away from them after last year 's court ruling . `` It is impossible to square the elation that we felt just a year ago with the grief that we feel today , '' said Kate Kendell , head of the National Center for Lesbian Rights . `` And it is impossible to reconcile the court 's ruling from a year ago with its upholding of Proposition 8 today . '' The same court , dominated by Republican appointees , ruled in May 2008 that the state constitution guaranteed gay and lesbian couples the `` basic civil right '' to marry . Voters responded in November by approving the marriage ban by a margin of 52 to 48 percent . iReport.com : React to court decision and share photos , video Opponents of the ban argued that it improperly altered California 's constitution to restrict a fundamental right guaranteed in the state charter . Its supporters argued that Californians long have had the right to change their state constitution through ballot initiatives . Tuesday 's ruling found that the proposition restricted the designation of marriage `` while not otherwise affecting the fundamental constitutional rights of same-sex couples , '' as Chief Justice Ronald George wrote . In a dissenting opinion , Justice Carlos Moreno -- the court 's only Democratic appointee -- wrote that the decision `` is not just a defeat for same-sex couples , but for any minority group that seeks the protection of the equal protection clause of the California Constitution . '' Watch what was at stake '' The decision sparked protests in San Francisco , Los Angeles and San Diego . `` It 's nice that my marriage is still intact , but that 's not the point , '' said Kathleen White , who was among those awaiting the ruling in San Francisco . `` The point is that everybody should have the same civil rights across the board . '' But Miles McPherson , pastor of the Rock Church in San Diego , said the court `` did the right thing . '' Voters in 28 other states have approved constitutional bans on same-sex marriages , and none has been rejected , he said . `` God did n't create the family that way , '' McPherson said . `` You ca n't have a family with a mother and a mother , because -LSB- children -RSB- need a mother and a father to nurture their personality and their character . '' Tony Perkins , president of the conservative Family Research Council , said the ruling `` should encourage pro-family activists not only in California but across the country . '' But he said that by preserving marriages performed before the ban , the justices could have opened a door to a possible appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court . It was unclear whether advocates had an avenue to appeal Tuesday 's ruling , however . And Dennis Herrera , San Francisco 's city attorney , said the fight for same-sex marriage rights would most likely go on `` in the electoral arena . '' `` Today we 're faced with a disappointing decision , '' Herrera said . `` But I think we also know it could have been worse . '' View reactions to the ruling '' A new effort , dubbed Yes on Equality , has begun working to place an initiative on the 2010 ballot that would repeal Proposition 8 . State justices left unaddressed whether same-sex marriages performed in other states before the ban was adopted would be recognized in California , and advocates would have to argue that the measure violated their rights under the U.S. Constitution for the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case . California took its first steps toward recognizing same-sex marriages in 2004 , when San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples . iReport.com : React to court decision and share photos , video Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger , who opposed the initiative , praised the court for leaving the previous marriages intact and urged opponents of the decision to respond `` peacefully and lawfully . '' `` While I believe that one day either the people or courts will recognize gay marriage , as governor of California , I will uphold the decision of the California Supreme Court , '' Schwarzenegger said in a written statement . Four states -- Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts and Iowa -- currently allow same-sex marriages . A Vermont law making such marriages legal will take effect in September . And the District of Columbia voted May 5 to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere , though it does not itself give marriage licenses to same-sex couples .