2024-01-20 00:38:02
WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of abortion rights opponents gathered in the snow Friday for the annual March for Life, as their spokespeople urged the passionate crowd to take advantage of the movement’s notable Supreme Court victory. and to continue fighting until abortion is eliminated.
Months before a presidential election that could be greatly influenced by abortion policies, anti-abortion activists filled the National Mall in Washington, DC, with banners reading messages such as “Life is valuable.” ” and “I am the pro-life generation.” After listening to the speeches, the crowd, braving the frigid temperatures, marched in front of the United States Capitol and the Supreme Court. A group stood before the highest court, beating a drum and chanting: “Everyone you know was an embryo once.”
The March for Life is the second event of its kind in the US capital since the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended federal protection of the right to abortion, which had been enshrined in the Roe v. Wade case. . Last year’s march was triumphant, with organizers reveling in the state-by-state struggles to be waged in local Congresses across the country.
Speakers praised the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, but said it is more important now than ever to keep pressure on lawmakers to push for abortion restrictions.
“Roe is over, but we still live in a culture that doesn’t know how to take care of life,” said Benjamin Watson, a former NFL player who is now an anti-abortion activist. “Roe is over, but the factors that drive women to seek abortions are becoming more evident. “Roe is over, but abortion is still legal and flourishing in too many parts of the United States.”
Friday’s event appeared smaller than in previous years, as ice and snow complicated travel plans. But the crowd was fired up as speakers, including members of Congress and University of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, urged participants to keep fighting until abortion is “unthinkable.”
“Let’s be encouraged, let’s move forward and hope that we can come together and make this big difference,” declared Republican Mike Johnson, speaker of the House of Representatives. “We can support every woman for every child, and we can truly build a culture that treasures and protects life.”
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Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer reported from Boston. AP writer David Crary contributed to this report from New York.
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