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WASHINGTON, D.C., January 17, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Events begin in earnest today for the 46th annual March for Life, as pro-lifers from across the United States and around the world prepare to march to the U.S. Supreme Court in protest of abortion on demand.
On Friday, marchers will gather on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for a series of speeches and music before marching to the Supreme Court building, where Roe v. Wade forced all 50 states to allow abortion in 1973. The theme of this year’s march is “Unique from Day One,” to emphasize the settled biological fact that the pre-born are living, complete, and distinct human beings starting at fertilization.
“Science is on the side of life,” the March for Life Defense & Education Fund declares. “Life, in its most vulnerable form, should be protected. That, in essence, is why we march. We march to end abortion, with the vision of a world where the beauty, dignity, and uniqueness of every human life are valued and protected.”
As is the case every year, the day before the March is full of events for concerned pro-life citizens to gather for prayer and conversation about various aspects of the fight against abortion. Some pro-lifers will also protest at abortion centers.
Thursday events include a protest of the giant Washington, D.C. Planned Parenthood with Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, conferences of pro-life Evangelicals and Anglicans, a March for Life Youth Rally, the March for Life Expo where pro-lifers from across the country can connect with each other, screenings of the anti-euthanasia documentary Fatal Flaws, and more.
“When we protest this Thursday, moreover, we are not only standing against Planned Parenthood. We’re standing against the entire abortion industry, which is much bigger,” Fr. Pavone said Monday. “We come, moreover, in a spirit of solidarity with the moms, dads, grandparents, and others who are coming there for appointments […] We don’t stand in front of these facilities pointing fingers of condemnation but rather extending hands of help and hope.”
In addition to the March itself, Friday will see multiple Masses for the pre-born, a “Coffee With Quitters” event to meet former abortion workers who left the industry, a Family Research Council summit for digital pro-life activists, and more.
Speakers for the March include Sen. Steve Daines of Montana; Reps. Chris Smith of New Jersey and Dan Lipinski of Illinois; Louisiana state Rep. Katrina Jackson; conservative commentator Ben Shapiro; And Then There Were None founder and former Planned Parenthood insider Abby Johnson; Martin Luther King’s niece Dr. Alveda King of Priests for Life; American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists fellow Dr. Kathi Aultman; Princeton Pro-Life president Ally Cavazos; Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus; and Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
At the Supreme Court, pro-lifers will also hear first-hand testimonies of abortion regret courtesy of Silent No More, and earlier this week March for Life president Jeanne Mancini revealed that Vice President Mike Pence will represent the Trump administration by delivering an address at the 37th annual Rose Dinner Friday evening.
Additionally, to coincide with the March for Life the Marist Institute has released its annual abortion poll commissioned by the Knights of Columbus. Their polling finds that 75 percent of Americans oppose permitting abortion past the first trimester, 65 percent think the Supreme Court should let the people vote on their own abortion laws, and that 56 percent of Americans recognize that “scientifically” a fetus is “a unique life.”
Also planned to coincide with the March, Republican senators have introduced legislation to permanently ban taxpayer funding of abortion and require that medical care be administered to newborns delivered alive after failed abortions. Both gestures are largely symbolic, however, as Democrats now control the House of Representatives, and the GOP opted not to make one last effort in December to defund Planned Parenthood while they still held Congress.
Further details about the events and speakers can be found at the 2019 March for Life’s official website. LifeSiteNews will be closely covering the March for Life and bring you all the important developments as they unfold.