The march comes a day after President Donald Trump issued pardons to 23 pro-life demonstrators who were targeted by the Biden Justice.
Organizers have estimated around 150,000 marchers — and previous years in the March for Life's 52-year history have certainly drawn those kinds of numbers. But the turnout may be limited by continued harsh winter weather that already forced President Donald Trump's inauguration indoors Monday.
Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, organizers and activists are focusing on the multiple state-level battles over abortion rights. As in the past, the march will start with a rally on the National Mall and end in the space separating the Capitol building from the Supreme Court. For decades, the protesters' focus was on the courthouse, but now the main target is the domed complex across the street.
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said there is still work to be done, despite the Supreme Court decision. “There’s no silver bullet to ending abortion,” she said. “The march now ends on the backside of the U.S. Capitol to remind our representatives that abortion is not only a state issue, but also a local issue and also a federal issue.”
Looking forward, Hawkins added that she would like to see Trump defund Planned Parenthood and put more government focus on making sure women with unplanned pregnancies have the resources to have the child, such as paid family leave and expanded child tax care credits.
Both President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance will address the crowd. Trump's speech will be by video as he has a busy day of travel to North Carolina and California.
