Over 100,000 pro-lifers participated in the 50th annual March for Life in the U.S. Capitol, LifeSiteNews reports. This year was special not only because of the 50th anniversary of the March, but also because it was the first time demonstrations were held after the fall of Roe v. Wade.
This is the first national march since the Supreme Court overturned Roe in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022 and this year’s theme was “Next Steps: Marching into a Post-Roe America.” The march ended not at the Supreme Court, but at the Capitol, where battles over taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood, Democratic efforts to codify a right to abortion, federal protections for the unborn, and more will continue.
Speakers at the rally before the March for Life again included many starts and celebrities. Jesus actor from The Chosen series, Jonathan Roumie, was a celebrity guest and Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy was also in attendance, as well as Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Steve Scalise, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith and many others.
The high attendance reflects both the energy of pro-life activists emboldened by the overturning of Roe and the fact that Covid restrictions on public mass gatherings have largely been lifted. The in-person March for Life was canceled in 2021, citing “the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic that may be reaching its peak, and given the increased pressures police officers and others are currently facing in and around the Capitol.”
“Abortion advocates really don’t have it easy,” said CUA Catholic University professor Dr. Michael New. “They are really out to persecute peaceful pro-life citizen advocates. I am very concerned about the expansion of chemical abortion drugs. I think it’s terrible that pharmacies can now offer them. Stores like CVS and Walgreens have indicated they will offer them.”
The overturning of Roe v. Wade therefore does not represent the end, but rather a milestone of victory for the pro-life march. Like every year, the march was a huge success.