Hundreds of thousands of people gathered across the US on Friday for the annual March for Life, with this year’s theme being ‘Love Saves Lives’.
The march marks the US Supreme courts decision in 1973 to legalise abortion. President Donald Trump made a very public show of support for the campaign with his address to the Washington DC march being made through live-stream video.
The remarks were broadcast from the White House Rose Garden, with Trump saying that his administration “will always defend the very first right in the Declaration of Independence, and that is the right to life”.
During their tenure in office, President Ronald Reagan, President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush all addressed the march via telephone or a radio hookup from the Oval Office, with their remarks broadcast to the crowd.
Trump said: “Every unborn child is a precious gift from God.”
He praised the pro-lifers for having “such big hearts and tireless devotion to make sure parents have the support they need to choose life”.
“You’re living witnesses of this year’s March for Life theme, ‘Love Saves Lives’,” he said.
Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, opened the rally by calling on everyone in the crowd to text the word ‘March’ to 7305 and to show their commitment to ending abortion and join their voices in calling on Congress to defund Planned Parenthood.
March for Life, she said, is about educating people about abortion and mobilising to end it and to love all those women and families who are facing a troubled pregnancy and other needs.