Anti-abortion demonstrators descended on to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for an annual march coinciding with a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.
Demonstrators at the 42nd annual March for Life on Thursday carried signs ranging from ones that said "Defend Life" and "I am a voice for the voiceless" to "Thank God my mom's prolife." The march is held annually on the same day that in 1973 that the Supreme Court announced its decision in the case of Roe v. Wade, a decision that created a constitutional right to abortion.
"We all think killing of people is wrong and I believe babies are people too," Nick Corsino, who drove from Birmingham, Alabama, with about 30 friends from his church, told NBC 4.
Among the speakers that addressed the group were several members of Congress, including Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington; Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey; Rep. Daniel Lipinski, D-Illinois, and Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina.
Meanwhile, “Stop Patriarchy," a group of abortion rights advocates from New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and the D.C.-are, was set to meet the anti-abortion rights supporters at the Supreme Court steps to confront the marchers and make their statement on abortion rights.
The anti-abortion rights supporters are going to be dressed in white, with blood on their pants to symbolize the women who died from dangerous illegal abortions before Roe v. Wade, the group said in a statement. They are also set to carry six- foot photographs of women who died from illegal abortions.
As thousands of anti-abortion marched in D.C., Republicans passed a legislation through the House on Thursday tightening federal restrictions on abortions.
The vote comes after Republicans abruptly abandoned another bill banning most late-term abortions after a rebellion led by female Republican lawmakers left them short of votes.
"I don't see it as a failure. I see it as a victory in the process for getting legislation right," Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), a sponsor of the postponed bill, said in an interview.
