March for Life (Washington, D.C.)

The March for Life is an annual rally and march against the practice and legality of abortion, held in Washington, D.C., either on or around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a decision legalizing abortion nationwide which was issued in 1973 by the United States Supreme Court. The participants in the march have advocated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which happened at the end of the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization on June 24, 2022. It is a major gathering of the anti-abortion movement in the United States and it is organized by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund.

This article is about the annual anti-abortion rally held in Washington, D.C.. For the rally against gun violence, see March for Our Lives.

March for Life
DateEvery year since January 22, 1974 (1974-01-22)
(first anniversary of Roe v. Wade)
LocationWashington, D.C.
Websitewww.marchforlife.org
A girl at the 2013 March for Life

History
Demonstrators of the first March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 22, 1974, a year after Roe v. Wade was passed
Some activists believe that abortion is a violation of human rights.
Young attendees of the 2018 March

In the 1960s American public opinion on a variety of issues, including sexuality and abortion, changed. It became much more common for people to have sexual intercourse outside of marriage. The rise of out-of-wedlock births, contraception, and abortion became controversial political issues. When the Supreme Court ruled that it was indeed constitutional for a woman to terminate her pregnancy (in the early stages), a vigorous anti-abortion movement was created.[1] The first March for Life, which was founded by Nellie Gray, was held on January 22, 1974, on the West Steps of the Capitol, with organizers claiming 20,000[2] supporters in attendance. The march was originally intended to be a one-time event, in hopes that the United States Supreme Court would reverse Roe v. Wade immediately a year after its ruling. However, after the first march in 1974, Gray took steps to institute the rally as a yearly event until Roe v. Wade was overturned by incorporating more grassroots anti-abortion activists into the march, which would be officially recognized as a nonprofit organization the same year.[3] Initially, politicians were viewed with suspicion. But as time passed, organizers of the March focused more and more on legislation and started to lobby politicians. However, the movement has become increasingly distant from the Democratic Party, as it has less and less room for anti-abortion voices, and leaned in favor of the Republican Party. For a long time, many anti-abortion Presidents, such as Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, had decided against appearing at the March. This precedent was broken in 2020, when Donald Trump became the first sitting President to attend the event in person.[4]

During the 33rd annual March for Life in 2006, the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court caused a major shift for the movement, because of the expectation that Alito would "win Senate approval and join a majority in overturning Roe."[5]

During the 2009 March for Life, the potential passage of the 110th United States Congress of the Freedom of Choice Act—a bill that would "codify Roe v. Wade" by declaring that abortion is a fundamental right, leading to the lifting of many restrictions on abortion—served as a key rallying point.[6]

In the contemporary United States, the anti-abortion movement has clashed with advocates of modern feminism, with anti-abortion activists claiming that abortion is an abuse of human rights.[7] As a result, women who identified as feminists but who also opposed legal abortion were excluded from the 2017 Women's March in the District of Columbia.[8] The movement also attracts gays and lesbians who have fallen out with the mainstream of their identities because they oppose abortion.[9] Both sides of the abortion debate have made use of novel medical advances, especially in neonatalogy and embryology, to justify their positions. In the case of the March for Life, president of the organization Jeanne Mancini asserted the argument that embryos were mere blobs of tissue was no longer feasible.[10]

After the 2019 March, a widely discussed confrontation occurred between a group of March for Life participants and those of the Indigenous Peoples' March.[11]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a security measure following the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, the 2021 March for Life was moved online by its organizers, and not held in person.[12][13] Nevertheless, a small group of demonstrators marched their way towards the building of the Supreme Court, the normal endpoint of the event.[14]

In 2022, the March for Life was marked by an upbeat mood because activists felt confident, based on their belief that the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling would be overturned.[15] Many attendees were young people, including members of Generation Z.[16][17] On June 24, 2022, the court ruled in Dobbs that the legality of abortion can be chosen by the states, overturning Roe v. Wade.[18] The March for Life returned in 2023, with participants celebrating the demise of the Roe,[9] though they acknowledged that their dream of the end of abortion in the country had not yet become a reality.[9][19] Various attendees interviewed by the Washington Post disagreed on what they should advocate for next—(paid) parental leave, flexible work hours, religious conversion, making adoption easier, raising more funds for emergency pregnancy centers, or appealing to those who are neither white nor Christian—now that Roe had already been overturned.[4]

Itinerary

The March for Life proceedings begin around noon.[6] They typically consist of a rally at the National Mall near Fourth Street (in 2018, this was near 12th St. NW).[20] It is followed by a march which travels down Constitution Avenue NW, turns right at First Street NE, and then ends on the steps of the Supreme Court of the United States, where another rally is held. Many protesters start the day by delivering roses and lobbying members of Congress.[21]

Attendance
Undergraduates from the Franciscan University of Steubenville at the 2012 March for Life

In 1987, it is estimated that 10,000 participated.[22]

In 1995, which is the last year that the National Park Service made an official estimate of attendance, 45,000 attended.[23]

Between 2003 and 2012, the marches drew crowds estimated in the hundreds of thousands.[24][25][26] March organizers estimated attendance of 400,000 in 2011.[27][26][28][29] and 650,000 in 2013.[30] As with all large crowd estimates, the generated number of attendees reported differ, with some sources indicating a figure in the tens of thousands to low six figures.[31][30][32]

In 2016, the march proceeded despite a blizzard that dropped 24 inches (610 mm) of snow in D.C., with tens of thousands of attendees.[33][34]

Many young people attend the march,[35] including teenagers and college students attend the march each year, typically traveling with Catholic schools, churches, and youth groups. A columnist for The Washington Post estimated that about half of the marchers were under age 30 in 2010.[36]

In 2022 attendance was estimated to be in the tens of thousands.[37] By 2023, The Washington Post noticed that those who attended the March came from diverse religious backgrounds, white Evangelicals, Protestants, Jews, adherents of non-Christian religions, and members of secular groups. A large number of the marchers were of high-school or college age.[4]

Notable speakers

1987

In 1987, then-President Ronald Reagan spoke remotely via telephone, and vowed to help "end this national tragedy." Jesse Helms, then Senator of North Carolina, attended and spoke. He called abortion an "American holocaust".[21]

2003–2009

In 2003, then-President George W. Bush spoke remotely via telephone and thanked participants for their "devotion to such a noble cause". During his telephone addresses, he tended to speak broadly of opposing abortion as opposed to offering any specific efforts being made to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision.[38]

In 2003, speakers included U.S. Representative Chris Smith, Republican of New Jersey, and Randall Terry, the founder of Operation Rescue. In his speech, Terry encouraged the youth in the audience, calling them to "fight for all you're worth."[39]

In 2004, 15 lawmakers (all Republican) spoke. Among the lawmakers who spoke were U.S. Representatives Todd Tiahrt of Kansas and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Tiahrt, who also spoke at the 30th annual march, urged marchers to "help pro-lifers in your state"; Toomey supported these remarks, saying to vote for anti-abortion candidates in order to reclaim the Senate and, in turn, the courts.[38]

In 2006, U.S. Representative Steve Chabot, an Ohio Republican and prominent anti-abortion advocate in the House of Representatives, spoke to the masses on overturning Roe v. Wade. Nellie Gray, the founder of March for Life, also spoke.[5]

In 2009, approximately 20 Congress members spoke, including U.S. Representative F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., Wisconsin Republican and former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Gray.[6]

2011–2019
President Donald Trump addresses the March for Life at the White House Rose Garden on January 19, 2018.

In 2011, speakers included House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, and several other members of the U.S. Congress, including then-Representative Mike Pence.[40]

In 2013, presenters included U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (via a pre-recorded video address), former senator and candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination Rick Santorum, as well as other members of Congress.[41]

In 2016, Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina took part in the march.[42]

In 2017, the march included Vice President Mike Pence, Kellyanne Conway, the Presidential Counselor, the Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson, and NFL player Benjamin Watson. Vice President Pence attended and spoke at the march, becoming the first vice president and the then highest-ranking federal official to do so.[43][44] Pence was also one of the speakers at the 2010 march while serving as representative of Indiana’s 6th congressional district.[45]

In 2018, President Donald Trump addressed the 45th march via satellite from the White House Rose Garden, becoming the first U.S. President to address the rally using this technology.[46] The march was attended by U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, Democratic Illinois Representative Dan Lipinski, former NFL center Matt Birk,[47] and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow's mother Pam.[48]

In 2019, Trump addressed the crowd via satellite and Pence spoke at the event in person. The President said, "I will always defend the first right in our Declaration of Independence: the right to life."[49] Political commentator Ben Shapiro also spoke at the event.[50]

President Trump at the 2020 March for Life

2020–present

On January 24, 2020, incumbent President Trump became the first U.S. president to attend and speak at the March for Life.[51][52]

In 2022, two current Republican and one former Democratic House members spoke: Chris Smith, Julia Letlow, and Dan Lipinski.[53]

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Representative Chris Smith, co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, addressed the crowd at the 2023 March, as did Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch.[7]

Associated events

Various anti-abortion organizations hold events before and after the March. Such events include a Luau for Life at Georgetown University and a candlelight vigil at the Supreme Court.[54] Additionally, independent films with an anti-abortion message have premiered or have been promoted in association with the March, including the Vatican endorsed film Doonby, which was shown at Landmark E Street Cinema during the 2013 march, and 22 Weeks, which premiered at Union Station's Phoenix Theatre on the eve of the 2009 march.[55]

Anglican events

Anglicans for Life, the anti-abortion apostolate of the Anglican Church in North America, launched the "Mobilizing the Church for Life" conference on the day before the 2016 March for Life.[56] On the following day, the primate of the Anglican Church in North America, Foley Beach, led Anglicans in the March for Life.[56]

Catholic events
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Youth Rally and Mass at Verizon Center (2006), now called the Capital One Arena

In 2009, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambri, read Pope Benedict XVI's message, which told attendants that he was "deeply grateful" for the youths' "outstanding annual witness for the gospel of life".[6] In 2008, the Pope's message thanked attendants for "promoting respect for the dignity and inalienable rights of every human being."[54] In 2011, an event parallel to the Verizon Center event was held at the D.C. Armory; a total of over 27,000 young people attended the events.[57]

In 2013, a Morning Mass and Rally (preceding the March for Life) was added and held at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University, including Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde, Richmond Bishop Francis DiLorenzo and more than 100 other bishops and priests from across the nation.[58] Life is VERY Good, which began with 350 participants in 2009, gathered in excess of 12,000 between its two events, held before and after the March, in 2013.[59]

Evangelical events
Clergy and laity at the 2017 United Methodist event for the March for Life hosted by Lifewatch, Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality

At the 2016 March for Life rally, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, organized a conference "aimed at increasing the level of engagement in the pro-life cause".[60]

The Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality, which is a part of the National Pro-Life Religious Council, holds its annual service of worship at the United Methodist Building, and the liturgy held for the 2016 March of Life featured "a sermon by Dr. Thomas C. Oden, General Editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, former Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University, and Lifewatch Advisory Board member."[61][56]

Lutheran events

Before the 2016 March for Life, a Divine Service was celebrated at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia.[56]

Virtual March for Life

In 2010, Americans United for Life launched an online virtual March. Those unable to attend the March for Life in person could create avatars of themselves and take part in a virtual demonstration on a Google Maps version of the National Mall.[62] The first online event attracted approximately 75,000 participants.[29]

The 2021 March for Life was a virtual event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and security concerns following the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.[63]

Media's attention

Members of the anti-abortion movement have frequently claimed that the level of media coverage of the annual March for Life is insufficient.[64]

See also

References
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  2. "History". marchforlife.org. March 25, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2017. On January 22, 1974, the first MARCH FOR LIFE was held on the West Steps of the Capitol. An estimated 20,000 committed prolife Americans rallied that day on behalf of our preborn brothers and sisters.
  3. Goodman, Bethany (January 18, 2010). "History of the March". marchforlife.org. Retrieved January 28, 2017. On January 22, 1974 thousands of anti-abortion protesters attended the first March for Life. A rally was held as Members of Congress announced anti-abortion legislation and expressed their support for the anti-abortion cause. The program concluded with a "Circle of Life" march around the Capitol, followed by participants lobbying their Members of Congress.
  4. McDaniel, Justine; Kitchener, Caroline; Boorstein, Michelle (January 20, 2023). "With Roe dead, thousands attend March for Life in Washington". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023.
  5. Janofsky, Michael. "Abortion Opponents Rally, Saying the End of Roe is Near". The New York Times. January 23, 2006. Retrieved November 9, 2009
  6. Drost, Michael. "Pro-life activists march on court; Call on Obama to 'save lives' by opposing pro-choice bills".The Washington Times, D.C. Area Section, A18. January 23, 2009. Retrieved November 9, 2009
  7. Shabad, Rebecca; Richards, Zoë; Jester, Julia (January 20, 2023). "Anti-abortion advocates hold annual March for Life rally for first time since Roe reversal". NBC News. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  8. Bagri, Neha Thirani (January 20, 2017). "A politically important group of women feels completely unwelcome at the Women's March on Washington". Quartz. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  9. Sasani, Ava; Graham, Ruth (January 20, 2023). "March for Life Kicks Off in Washington, Setting the Stage for New Ideas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  10. Green, Emma (January 18, 2018). "Science Is Giving the Pro-Life Movement a Boost". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  11. Mervosh, Sarah; Rueb, Emily S. (January 20, 2019). "Fuller Picture Emerges of Viral Video Between Native American Man and Catholic Students". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  12. "Dear March for Life organizers: Thank you for canceling the in-person march". America Magazine. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  13. Kelly, Caroline (January 29, 2021). "A virtual March for Life takes place under a changed Washington". CNN. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
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  22. Hula, Bryan (January 21, 2015). "From the Archives: March for Life History". VOX. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
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  24. Leslie Shapiro; Shelley Tan (January 22, 2017). "A century of women marching on the Mall". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 28, 2017. The event has grown throughout the years. The first march drew a few thousand protestors, while more recent marches have seen consistent crowds estimated to be in the tens to hundreds of thousands.
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  27. Harper, Jennifer (January 22, 2009). "Pro-life marchers lose attention". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 27, 2011. [T]he event has consistently drawn about 250,000 participants since 2003.
  28. About Us. March for Life website. Retrieved January 27, 2011
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  30. "Abortion Foes Aim to Compete With Turnout for Women's March". The New York Times. January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2017. One of the largest turnouts was in 2013, the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the march itself. Some abortion opponents claimed that as many as 650,000 marchers showed up.
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  57. Michelle Boorstein, Ben Pershing January 25, 2011 "Abortion protesters see hope in GOP gains"
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  59. "Life is very good (2.8.13) | The Anchor". www.anchornews.org. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013.
  60. Zystra, Sarah Eekhoff (January 21, 2016). "Evangelicals Join March for Life as Abortions Plu". Christianity Today. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
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  62. Thousands march in D.C. demonstration against abortion, William Wan, January 23, 2010 Washington Post, January 23, 2010
  63. "Statement on 2021 March for Life". March for Life. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
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