March for Life
Encyclopedia
March for Life is an annual pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...

 rally protesting abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...

, held in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, on or around the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...

's decision legalizing abortion in the case Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...

. The march is organized by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. The overall goal of the march is to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. The 38th annual March for Life occurred on Monday, January 24, 2011 — instead of the usual January 22 — because Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 is not in session on weekends. The march typically draws around 250,000 attendees each year.

The march has consistently drawn 250,000 people each year since 2003, and estimates put the 2011 attendance at 400,000.

History

The first March for Life was held on January 22, 1974, on the West Steps of the Capitol, with an estimated 20,000 supporters in attendance.

During the 33rd annual March for Life in 2006, the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito to the Supreme Court caused a major positive shift, because of the expectation that Alito would "win Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 approval and join a majority in overturning Roe
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...

."

Around the time of the 35th annual March for Life in 2008, a Guttmacher Institute
Guttmacher Institute
The Guttmacher Institute is a non-profit organization which works to advance sexual and reproductive health. The institute operates in the United States and globally "through an interrelated program of social science research, policy analysis and public education." According to their mission...

 report was released, which revealed that the number of abortions performed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 dropped to 1.2 million in 2005. This was the lowest level of abortions since 1976. Although this seemed like a victory, many march participants stressed that the figures were not a large enough decline. Many marchers said they would not stop protesting until abortions were illegal.

During the 2009 March for Life, the threat of passage by the 111th Congress of the Freedom of Choice Act—a bill that would "codify Roe v. Wade" by declaring a fundamental right to abortion and lifting many restrictions on abortion—served as a key rallying point, because pro-lifers worried that the legislation would eliminate certain abortion restrictions like parental notification for minors and repeal the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act
The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is a United States law prohibiting a form of late-term abortion that the Act calls "partial-birth abortion", often referred to in medical literature as intact dilation and extraction...

.

From year to year, phrases on signs at the march have included “We Choose Life”, “End Abortion Now”, “Your Mom Chose Life”, “Give Life, Don’t Take It”, “Defend Life”, “Women Deserve Better Than Abortion”, “Michigan Loves Our Pro-Life President”, “Respect Life, Diocese of Pittsburgh”, “Abortion Kills”, “Stop Unborn Child Abuse”, and “Equal Rights for Unborn Women”. Others compared abortions to “Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...

's Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...

”. Many sing and chant phrases such as “Pro-choice, that's a lie, babies never choose to die!”

Itinerary

The March for Life proceedings begin around noon. They typically consist of a rally at the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...

 near Fourth Street. It is followed by a march which travels down Constitution Avenue
Constitution Avenue
In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...

 NW, turns right at First Street and then ends on the steps of the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...

, where another rally is held. Many protesters start the day by delivering roses and lobbying members of Congress.

Attendance

Since 2003, the March for Life has consistently brought in around 250,000 attendees every year.

Approximately 5,000 participated in the 14th annual march in 1987, despite a snowstorm. Many teenagers and college students attend the march each year, typically traveling with church/youth groups. Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney estimated that about half of the marchers are under age 30.

Notable speakers

Notable speakers at the rally in front of the Capitol before the march have included President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

, Alveda King
Alveda King
Alveda Celeste King is an American Christian minister, conservative, pro-life activist, and author. She is a niece of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and daughter of the late civil rights activist Rev. A. D. William King, Sr. and his wife Naomi Barber King...

 (niece of Martin Luther King Jr.), and the parents of Terri Schiavo
Terri Schiavo
The Terri Schiavo case was a legal battle in the United States between the legal guardians and the parents of Teresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo that lasted from 1998 to 2005...

. There are typically several members of Congress who speak at the march.

George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 was out of town during six consecutive marches (2000-2006) during his tenure. However, he spoke via telephone line amplified by loudspeakers. In 2004, he thanked participants for their “devotion to such a noble cause” from Roswell, New Mexico. 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.

Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

 was also known to deliver telephone addresses to the march crowds. At the 14th annual march in 1987, he vowed to help “end this national tragedy". Then Senator Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...

 of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, also spoke at the 14th annual rally. He called abortion an “American holocaust".

At the 30th annual march in 2003, speakers included Representative Chris Smith, Republican of New Jersey, and Randall Terry
Randall Terry
Randall Almira Terry is an American pro-life activist and candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in 2012. Terry founded the pro-life organization Operation Rescue. The group became particularly prominent beginning in 1987 for blockading the entrances to abortion clinics;...

, the founder of Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is a pro-life organization which originated in California and is now based in Kansas....

. In his speech, Terry targeted the youth in the audience, calling them to “fight for all you're worth."

At the 31st annual march in 2004, 15 lawmakers, all Republican, spoke. Many of them stressed the importance of backing and voting for only candidates whose platform supported antiabortion in the November elections. Among the lawmakers who spoke were Representatives Todd Tiahrt
Todd Tiahrt
Todd Tiahrt is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1995 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district encompasses 11 counties in the south central region of the state, including the city of Wichita. He was succeeded by Republican Mike Pompeo.Tiahrt ran...

 of Kansas, and Patrick J. 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 pro-life candidates in order to reclaim the Senate and, in turn, the courts.

At the 33rd annual march in 2006, Representative Steve Chabot
Steve Chabot
Steven Joseph "Steve" Chabot is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously represented the district from 1995 to 2009.-Early life, education and career:...

, an Ohio Republican and prominent pro-life advocate in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

, spoke to the masses on overturning Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...

. He stated that what he called the killing of millions of babies should be "sufficient justification for overruling that awful case". Nellie Gray
Nellie Gray
"Darling Nelly Gray" is a 19th c. popular song composed by Benjamin Hanby, and as such, is a pseudo-African-American folksong. Hanby composed the song while attending Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio in 1856, in response to the plight of a runaway slave named Joseph Selby or Shelby...

, the founder of March for Life
March for Life
March for Life is an annual pro-life rally protesting abortion, held in Washington, D.C., on or around the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion in the case Roe v. Wade. The march is organized by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. The overall goal...

, spoke of "feminist abortionists", foreseeing that the United States would hold them accountable for their actions in trials equivalent to the Nuremberg Trials.

At the 36th annual march in 2009, approximately 20 Congressmen spoke. They talked about the "challenges pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...

 advocates face under the Obama administration"
. Specific speakers at the 36th annual included Representative F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
Jim Sensenbrenner
Frank James Sensenbrenner, Jr. is an American politician who has been a member of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives since 1979, representing . The district, the state's richest, includes many of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs, and extends into rural...

, Wisconsin Republican and former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Gray.

President Obama was asked by Nellie Gray to speak at the 36th annual march, but he did not attend. Instead, he released a statement supporting abortion rights. He said that abortion represents a broad principle: "government should not intrude on our most private family matters".

Notable speakers at the 38th annual march in 2011 included House Majority Leader Eric Cantor
Eric Cantor
Eric Ivan Cantor is the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district, serving since 2001. A member of the Republican Party, he became House Majority Leader when the 112th Congress convened on January 3, 2011...

, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, and several other members of Congress.

Media attention

March for Life has received relatively little media attention over the years. The typical coverage consists of a “story with a tiny little comment from one individual marcher”, Gray has said. The 36th annual march in 2009, which brought in very little media coverage, was just two days after Obama's inauguration
Inauguration
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....

, which brought in swarms of media representatives.

To counter the relative lack of media coverage, one of the March for Life's supporters, the Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...

, organized a “Blogs for Life” conference in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 The main goal of the conference was to “bring pro-life bloggers together to talk over strategies” for securing more effective media coverage and advancing anti-abortion issues. Such strategies include securing media coverage through legislative means or by tapping into new media outlets.

Associated events

Various pro-life organizations hold events before and after the March. Such events include a Luau for Life at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

 and a candlelight vigil
Vigil
A vigil is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance...

 at the Supreme Court. In addition, the March for Life Education and Defense Fund hosts a dinner each year.

Roman Catholic events

Preceding the March for Life, there are several Masses
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...

; two of which are celebrated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Latin Rite Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States...

 as well as the Verizon Center
Verizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...

 in Chinatown
Chinatown, Washington, D.C.
Chinatown in Washington, D.C., is a small, historic neighborhood east of downtown consisting of about 20 ethnic Chinese and other Asian restaurants and small businesses along H and I Streets between 5th and 8th Streets, Northwest. It is known for its annual Chinese New Year festival and parade and...

. The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington hosts a Youth Rally and Mass every year at the Verizon Center, attended by approximately 20,000 young people, where a message from the Pope is relayed.

In 2009, apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

 Pietro Sambri read Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

's message, which told attendants that he was “deeply grateful” for the youths' "outstanding annual witness for the gospel of life". In 2008, the Pope's message thanked attendants for “promoting respect for the dignity and inalienable rights of every human being.” 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.

Students for Life conference

Students for Life of America
Students for Life of America
Students for Life of America, also known as simply Students for Life or SFLA, is a pro-life 501 non-profit organization that seeks to end abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide by educating students about the issue and identifying pro-life student leaders and giving them the training, skills, and...

, the largest association of pro-life groups or clubs on college campuses, holds an annual conference for pro-life youth on the week of the march, generally the Saturday after the 22nd of January. Attendance at the conference has exploded in recent years according to Kristan Hawkins, president of SFLA, who announced at the 2010 conference that attendance has gone from about 400 in 2007 to over 1,200 in 2010; in 2011, there were 1,800 attendees.

Virtual March for Life

In 2010, Americans United for Life
Americans United for Life
Americans United for Life is an American pro-life public interest law firm and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1971, the group advocates protection of human life at all stages of life, from conception to death, and is involved in related issues of health and biotechnology...

 launched an online virtual March. Pro-lifers unable to attend the event in person could create avatars of themselves and take part in a virtual demonstration on a Google Maps version of the Washington Mall
Washington Mall
Washington Mall is an ailing enclosed shopping mall located in South Strabane Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, just outside the city of Washington, formerly managed by J J Gumberg Co. and now by Oxford Development Company. It is owned by Falconi, a local developer which also owns a...

. The online event attracted 75,000 participants.

PLAGAL controversy

In 2002, Gray denied the inclusion of the Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians
Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians
Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians is a United States-based interest group of LGBT persons and straight allies opposed to legalized elective abortion and supportive of alternatives to abortion....

 (PLAGAL) under her demonstration permit, and allowed PLAGAL members be arrested. PLAGAL was subsequently allowed to participate with March for Life, beginning in 2003.

See also

  • Walk for Life West Coast
    Walk for Life West Coast
    The Walk for Life West Coast is an annual pro-life event protesting abortion, held in San Francisco, California. It is held on a Saturday on or near January 22, the anniversary date of the decision in the United States Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade....

     (San Francisco)
  • National Sanctity of Human Life Day
    National Sanctity of Human Life Day
    National Sanctity of Human Life Day is an observance declared by several U.S. Presidents who opposed abortion.-History:In a January 13, 1984 proclamation, President Ronald Reagan designated January 22, 1984 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The date was chosen to coincide with the...

  • March for Life (Paris, France)
  • March for Life and Family
    March for Life and Family
    Marsz dla Życia i Rodziny was a march organised in Warsaw, Poland by conservative-Catholic institutions combined with a pop music performance...

    (Warsaw, Poland)

External links

Washington, D.C.

Dallas, Texas

General
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