Anti-abortion March for Life draws thousands in Washington, D.C.
January 29, 2017, 0:40:35 CET | Wikinews

()
Yesterday, thousands of anti-abortion protesters rallied in Washington, D.C. Unlike the half a million who walked to the White House waving signs last Saturday, these came to support one of the policies espoused by the United States president Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence: making abortion harder to come by.

This event, called the March for Life, has taken place every year since 1973, the year abortion was ruled legal in the U.S. by the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision.

Donald Trump has recently reversed Barack Obama's repeal of a global funding ban, which prohibits the use of U.S. funds for any organization that provides or counsels for abortions abroad.

Trump specifically asked Vice President Mike Pence to attend the march. "Life is winning in America!" he told the crowd, noting that he serves under "a president who I proudly say stands for the right to life." "Pro-life" is the umbrella term of choice of the U.S. political movement that favors rendering abortion illegal and less accessible and "pro-choice" is the corresponding term for the movement that favors keeping it legal and accessible.

One reason why many opponents of abortion say the procedure should be illegal is the belief, often religious, that life begins at conception. Correspondingly, the event was accompanied by religious music and speeches, including one by Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan. One reporter for the BBC noted the large number of young women in the crowd, especially college students. Signs included "Women DO Regret Abortion" and "I am the Pro-Life Generation," many held up by young women. Others showed pictures of fetuses, quoted Bible verses, or called for the defunding of Planned Parenthood by name. There is already a law in place, the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal funds for abortions, though this money can go to organizations that also perform abortions so long as the funds are kept separate.

As governor of Indiana, Mike Pence established some of the country's strictest abortion laws. Years ago, Donald Trump said publicly that he was "very pro-choice" but has since changed his stance. Trump commented, as is his custom, via Tweet, "To all of you marching — you have my full support!"

The crowds in Washington, D.C. yesterday numbered in the tens of thousands, in contrast to the roughly 500,000 in last week's Women's March, though some organizations did attend both events. March for Life President Jeanne Mancini told National Public Radio, "I think we're a pretty different march — we're a one-issue march."

The abortion rate in the United States hit a record low in 2013, but the pro- and anti-abortion rights movements are at odds about why. Both sides credit increased availability of contraceptives, but anti-abortion organizations tend to give more credit to state-level laws that have made it harder to keep abortion clinics open and limit abortions to only the early stages of pregnancy. As NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue pointed out, the anti-abortion movement now has the opportunity to work at the federal level; "We're living at the apex of a 40-year, state-by-state effort by the anti-choice people [...] We have to be prepared for the fact that they've got all the pieces in place to do real damage."

Source: Wikinews
Share this article:
share article on facebook share article on twitter share article on google+ share article on tumblr share article on blogger share article on reddit

Send us your articles and web-novels!
comments powered by Disqus
Most popular


Recently Viewed:


Anti-abortion March for Life draws thousands in Wash...

Yesterday, thousands of anti-abortion protesters rallied in Washington, D.C. Unlike the half...


Scottish Labour elect Kezia Dugdale new leader

Kezia Dugdale MSP (Member of Scottish Parliament) has been elected as the new leader for Sco...


Bernie Sanders embraces Black Lives Matter movement

United States Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders discussed his understanding of the Black...


FIFA Ballon d'Or 2015 goes to Lionel Messi

Yesterday, Argentina and FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi won the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or in the...


Kevin Spacey to star in upcoming video game Call of ...

Activision has announced their upcoming first-person shooter code-named "Advanced Warfare" w...

Automotive
Reviews | Technology | Projects & Tuning | Events | Racing
Business & Technology
Business & Economy | Mobile | Internet & Media | Security & Privacy | Gadgets & Tech | Software
Lifestyle
Health, Food & Fitness | Fashion | Gardening | DIY | Homes
Society
Accidents | Crime | Culture | Finance | Politics
Science & Environment
Wildlife | Green | Space
Gaming
Reviews
Society
Accidents | Crime | Culture | Finance | Politics
Travel
MM-iNEWS
Copyright & Privacy | Site Roadmap | Sitemap | Contact
Web Development @ OverHertz Ltd
Ω