SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- 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 didn't create the family that way," McPherson said. "You can't have a family with a mother and a mother, because [children] 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
What number of people was arrested? What's the state constitution? What ruling was mentioned in the article? Where was the ban approved? What were the supporters arrested for? What month saw voters approve the ban?
159 adults guaranteed gay and lesbian couples the "basic civil right" to marry. voter-approved ban on same-sex California jaywalking, November
question: What number of people was arrested?, answer: 159 adults | question: What's the state constitution?, answer: guaranteed gay and lesbian couples the "basic civil right" to marry. | question: What ruling was mentioned in the article?, answer: voter-approved ban on same-sex | question: Where was the ban approved?, answer: California | question: What were the supporters arrested for?, answer: jaywalking, | question: What month saw voters approve the ban?, answer: November