The March for Life is an annual rally held in Washington, D.C. in support of life and against abortion. It is held on a date near January 22, the date on which (in 1973) abortion on demand was upheld in Roe v. Wade. The goal of the March for Life -- an overruling of Roe -- was achieved on June 24, 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
The March on Life is among the largest annual gatherings in the United States of citizens engaging in self-government. The movement is a constantly growing crowd of currently about 400,000 people gather annually.[1] By comparison, the biggest sports events attract attendance of only 100,000–250,000, and the biggest cities can accommodate tourism of only about 200,000 at any particular time.
The March for Life began in 1974, on the first anniversary of Roe v. Wade (1973). In addition, over 100,000 gather around the nation in various cities, such as on the West Coast. A historically significant March for Life in D.C. was held on Friday, January 25, 2013 – near the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.[1]
The March for Life was founded by the late Miss Nellie Gray, who led it for nearly four decades. She also set up a non-profit organization by the same name that provides educational workshops typically the day before the March. Many organizations and groups from across the nation attend the March for Life. For example, Conservapedia has led large groups to the March for Life each year beginning in 2009.
The influence of the March for Life might be estimated to be approximately 25 times its attendance, as the average person who attends is bound to communicate his participation to 25 others (at a conservative estimate).[2] An attendance of 400,000 thereby influences perhaps 10 million persons annually, and during a period of a decade the cumulative overall influence reaches perhaps 50 million persons in a personal way.
The March for Life has grown to participation by about 1 in every 400 Americans from East of the Mississippi River.[3] Additional people from across the nation and out West also travel to attend the March for Life. In Canada, a March for Life is held on May 12th each year.
The 2019 March for Life saw a first: President Donald Trump spoke live at the March, the first time a sitting President has spoken live at the event (in prior years, a President who addressed the March did so via prerecorded video).
Year | Estimated Attendance |
---|---|
1974 | 20,000[4] |
1975 | 50,000[5] |
1976 | 65,000[5] |
2000 | 100,000[5] |
2005 | 200,000[5] |
2008 | 225,000[4] |
2009 | 300,000 |
2010 | 400,000 |
2011 | 400,000[6] |
2012 | 400,000[7] |
2013 | 500,000[8] |
2014 | 300,000 |
2015 | 500,000 |
2016 | 100,000[9] |
Photos from 2016 March for Life by Conservapedia
- Our photos from the March for Life 2016!
The march on Constitution Avenue, with banners from the Netherlands and France and the Cross.
Photos from 2015 March for Life by Conservapedia
- Live from March for Life 2015!
Photos from 2014 March for Life by Conservapedia
Photos from 2013 March for Life by Conservapedia
Photos from 2012 March for Life by Conservapedia
Photos from 2011 March for Life by Conservapedia
Photos from 2010 March for Life by Conservapedia
Photos from 2009 March for Life by Conservapedia
March for Life 2009 outside U.S. Supreme Court
See also
Further reading
- March for Life: A look at the largest anti-abortion rally in the United States, by Madeline Farber, Fox News.
- March for Life signs: [1][2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.marchforlife.org/
- ↑ Some, such as clergymen, obviously influence far more.
- ↑ The population East of the Mississippi River is estimated to be about 178 million.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=31298
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 http://www.marchforlife.org/content/view/13/26/
- ↑ http://prolifeleague.com/articles/60-march-for-life-2011.html . The cold weather -- 10 degrees below normal in D.C. and even colder at many points of departure -- caused some to postpone their attendance until 2012.
- ↑ http://ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=4725 . Also, an onsite report by a bus driver to a Conservapedian said there were more buses in 2012 than in 2011, when the crowd was 400,000, despite the cold rain throughout the day.
- ↑ http://www.catholicvirginian.org/archive/2013/2013vol88iss7/pages/2013vol88iss7.html
- ↑ A State of Emergency existed in D.C. and surrounding states due to a massive snowstorm.
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