Inside Wednesday's Massive 'March for Life' Rally Against Abortion in D.C.

Thousands of protesters on Wednesday braved frigid wind chills and single digit temperatures as they rallied in Washington, D.C.,  against legalized abortion.

The annual March for Life rally in the nation’s capital, which takes place every year on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision to declare abortion a “constitutional right,” started with a hefty morale boost from Pope Francis who said in a tweet: “I join the March for Life in Washington with my prayers. May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulnerable.”

Thousands of supporters marched in Washington, D.C., Wednesday afternoon against legalized abortion (image source: TheBlaze/Eddie Scarry)

“The event draws many Catholic high school and college students from across the country for a series of events and prayer vigils leading up to a rally and march on the National Mall,” the Associated Press reported.

One attendee told TheBlaze's Eddie Scarry she relates to the rally because "the people that are pro-life believe in Jesus and defending life.” (image source: TheBlaze/Eddie Scarry)

President Barack Obama also marked the occasion by issuing a statement Wednesday, saying the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision is a chance to "recommit ourselves to the decision's guiding principle: that every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health."

Many who marched against legalized abortion were women, according to Scarry (image source: TheBlaze/Eddie Scarry)

Many of the pro-life marchers were very young. Many appeared to be in high school image source: TheBlaze/Eddie Scarry)

The president added in his statement that nation must continue to "defend" women’s access to “safe, affordable health care” as well as their “reproductive freedoms.”

“And we resolve to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and continue to build safe and healthy communities for all our children,” the statement said. “Because this is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams.”

Students for Life, a noted pro-life group, came out in large numbers for Wednesday’s rally (image source: TheBlaze/Eddie Scarry)

The National Organization for Women, a noted pro-abortion group, was also in attendance (image source: TheBlaze/Eddie Scarry)

Pro-abortion advocates met in front of the Supreme Court to have their voices heard (image source: TheBlaze/Eddie Scarry)

March for Life organizers chose adoption as this year’s theme.

Organizers hoped Wednesday to help eliminate the “stigma around adoption as an alternative to abortion for pregnant women who face difficult situations,” the AP reported.

March for Life attendees carry a statue of the Virgin Mary through the streets of Washington, D.C. (image source: TheBlaze/Eddie Scarry)

House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told rally attendees Wednesday morning that Republicans will soon hold a vote to put an end to taxpayer-funded abortions, the report added.

Click here to see one last bit of coverage of the March for Life from the blog.

--

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter