Protesters campaigning against Sharia Law were met with a number of counter-demonstrations on Saturday, as anti-Sharia rallies took place in 28 cities across America.

The rallies, which were organized by the national security organization ACT! for America, attracted strong support in cities such as Phoenix, Chicago, Austin, Atlanta, New York, Boston, and Seattle.

Sharia is the law of Islam, which governs how Muslims pray, eat, establish families, and all aspects of a Muslim’s life. The rules of sharia come from Quranic commandments and the hadiths, a collection of sayings of Muhammad. Sharia significantly restricts the freedom of women and allows for extreme punishments for violations such as adultery, blasphemy, and apostasy. Sharia is the basis of laws in Islamic countries, both Sunni and Shia.

A press release from the ACT! for America website reads:

This is a march against Sharia law and for human rights. Our nation is built on the freedom of religion – a pillar of our democracy – which we must always respect, protect, and honor. However many aspects of Sharia law run contrary to basic human rights and are completely incompatible with our laws and our democratic values.