Photos: 50th anniversary of the Selma march

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Selma march anniversaryUS President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha as well as Former President George W. Bush, his wife Laura Bush and members of Congress and civil rights leaders lead a walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches in Selma, Alabama, March 7, 2015. US President Barack Obama rallied a new generation of Americans to the spirit of the civil rights struggle, warning their march for freedom “is not yet finished.” In a forceful speech in Selma, Alabama on the 50th anniversary of the brutal repression of a peaceful protest, America’s first black president denounced new attempts to restrict voting rights. AFP PHOTO/ GERALD HERBERT

Thousands of people, including U.S. President Barack Obama gathered in Selma, Alabama for the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. On March 7th, 1965, Reverend Hosea Williams and now U.S. Congressman John Lewis led a group of 600 marchers toward Montgomery. The group was turned back by Alabama State Troopers who beat them and used tear gas on the crowd.