Tens of thousands of people gathered in the District of Columbia on Friday to demonstrate their opposition to abortion in the first annual “March for Life” since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and delivered a long-sought victory to the pro-life movement.
Participants spread across a section of the National Mall to hear speeches and later took part in a march, holding signs like “It’s a Child, Not a Choice,” “I Demand Protection at Conception,” and “I Am The Post-Roe Generation.”
The mention of being part of the “post-Roe generation” refers to the fact that, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, ruling that there’s no constitutional right to abortion and thus returning the regulation of abortion to the states. That decision effectively overturned the high court’s landmark decision on Jan. 22, 1973, in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide.
Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, spoke at the event, calling it “a somber reminder of the millions of lives lost to abortion in the past 50 years, but also a celebration of how far we have come and where we as a movement need to focus our effort as we enter this new era in our quest to protect life.”
Some movement leaders hope to persuade congressional lawmakers to impose a federal abortion restriction in the future. Such a proposal would likely face stern opposition in the Democrat-held Senate.
One of those to speak at the rally was House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), who encouraged participants to stay focused on “the mission” of extending protections for the unborn.
“You are showing us and giving us hope that the young people of America support life, defend life, are here to march for life,” Scalise said. “When you’re in a battle, it’s important to keep your focus on what the mission is. But every step of the way, it’s also critical that we celebrate victories along the way. And boy, did we get a huge victory just a few months ago when Roe was overturned.”
By Tom Ozimek
