Very few counterprotesters to March for Life

UPDATE: Few counterprotesters gathered in front of the Supreme Court, waving signs with slogans such as “Bans off our bodies” and “Mind your own uterus.” A few counterprotesters interrupted the National Prayer Service before the march began this morning. 

EARLIER UPDATE (3 p.m.): Marchers called for Congress not to pass legislation overriding pro-life laws in states that have passed them since the fall of Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden claimed he would do everything in his power to restore women’s ability to obtain abortions.

EARLIER UPDATE (2 p.m.): The sprawling crowd covered a section of the National Mall for the two-hour event, standing within sight of the Capitol.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, whose office argued the case that overturned Roe, said that “until we can give women and their children what they need to thrive, and until we can change our laws to reflect our compassion, life remains fragile.”

Other speakers at the march included author and former NFL coach Tony Dungy; his wife, Lauren Dungy, who is an educator and author; and the actor Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus in the VidAngel series The Chosen.

EARLIER REPORT (11 a.m.): The March for Life rally starts at noon EST, and marchers are gathering to walk through Washington, D.C., to the Supreme Court. The rally includes pro-life speakers and a concert on the National Mall. The march will start immediately after the rally. Outside the Supreme Court, there will be testimonies from pro-life advocates. Rally leaders expect around 50,000 supporters, about the same as in previous years. 

Are there any other marches? March for Life will hold six other rallies later this year in Arizona, California, Ohio, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. So far, laws protecting babies in almost every case have been implemented in 12 states, and other states are trying to do the same. Now it’s up to state legislatures to enact pro-life laws. Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said the march is a reminder of the lives lost to abortion and of where the pro-life movement’s focus should be in this new era.

Dig deeper: Listen to Leah Savas’ report on The World and Everything in It podcast about the Biden administration making abortion pills more accessible.