Thousands of anti-abortion protesters from around the United States gathered on the National Mall to continue their fight against abortion as part of the National March for Life on Jan. 24.
The National March for Life takes place every year in D.C. to march and protest against abortion. The 2025 schedule included a pre-rally concert featuring the Christian band Unspoken, a rally with guest speakers and a march from the National Mall to the Supreme Court.
Vice President JD Vance made his first public appearance since being sworn into office on Jan. 20 at the rally, thanking the attendees and encouraging them to fight “for the unborn.”
“Go forth, not with frustration, but with joy,” Vance urged protestors. “We are joyful to know that that picture on an ultrasound, that is a picture of a baby with hopes, dreams and potential.”
President Donald Trump made an appearance at the 2020 march and appeared this year through a recorded video. He discussed the overturning of Roe v. Wade and promised to “protect the historic gains we have made.”
“Unlimited abortion on demand up to the moment of birth and even after birth,” Trump said in his video. “Think of that: after birth. And some people want that. Can you believe it?”
Roe v. Wade prohibited states from denying abortions in the first trimester, but allowed states to regulate abortions in the second and third trimesters, so long as exceptions were made in cases where the health or life of the mother was at risk, according to Supreme Court archive site Oyez.
The event brought many other special guests to join and support the anti-abortion movement, including professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, House Majority Leader Mike Johnson and multiple Republican members of Congress.
“Let’s keep working to ensure that more eyes open,” Johnson said. “That more people will embrace those timeless truths and that all children will be allowed the incomparable gift of being born.”
Marchers held signs with slogans such as, “Defund Planned Parenthood,” “Love is ending abortion,” “I am part of the pro-life generation” and “We will not surrender.” Many engaged in chants like “We will end abortion” and “U.S.A.”
The march attracted many religious organizations to D.C. Throughout the march, these groups sang religious tunes or held up crosses. As the rally came to an end, a reverend led a prayer from the stage.
A large group of Patriot Front members held up signs referencing Christianity and the Bible, marched around the monument with American flags and gathered on the opposite side of the Washington Monument before the march. The Patriot Front is a white supremacist group, according to The Anti-Defamation League.
Many protestors cited their Christian faith as a reason for opposing abortion. Liam Shields, a student at Florida State University, said “[his] lord and savior, Jesus Christ,” is what brought him to the march. He believes that life begins at conception and wants more abortion-restricting policies to be passed.
“I think we need to ban sex before marriage,” Shields said. “Depression rates are at an all-time high, and you know, that’s just a life without God.”
Fiona Bultonsheen, a graduate student at Yale University, came here for the David Network Conference, which is a non-profit organization that brings conservatives from Ivy League schools together for an annual summit. She also cited her Christian faith when expressing her stance against abortion.
“We are not God,” Bultonsheen said. “We don’t get to take life away like that.”
Many organizations traveled to the march to spread their word, posters and mission with others. Carrie Perham and Sarah Prentice, members of Feminists Choosing Life of New York, traveled from Rochester, New York to D.C. to promote feminism.
“We believe in being pro-life for the whole life, and also that abortion harms women, and that being pro-life is being pro-women,” Prentice said.
Universities like Liberty University had large groups in attendance. Rebekah Gilbert, a freshman from Idaho studying exercise science, believes that God created humans for a reason, and she wants to show her support for that.
“I would say [the argument that abortion is a medical procedure] is a load of B.S.,” Gilbert said. “I think that’s not their call to make.”
A counterprotest commenced along the National March for Life exit route, The Supreme Court, which was posted by the American University Students for Reproductive Justice on Jan. 21. AU Repro is a “pro-abortion advocacy group fighting for reproductive justice at AU.”
In a statement to The Eagle, AU Repro denounced March for Life’s mission to protect life and said restrictions will not end abortions but instead lead to unsafe methods of abortion.
“Protesters and supporters alike have unfortunately not focused on the fact that maintaining safe access to care and resources is the key element in reducing unplanned pregnancies,” the statement said.
AU Repro also stressed the importance of recognizing that “those who are of differing socioeconomic statuses, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ individuals” are disproportionately affected by bans and restrictions.
“If we want to reduce the amount of unsafe abortions, then we need to emphasize sexual education and increase access to emergency contraceptives,” AU Repro said in their statement.
This article was edited by Abigail Hatting, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Ella Rousseau and Ariana Kavoossi.
