The annual March for Life descends on the National Mall in Washington Friday.
This is the first time the annual anti-abortion event is being held following the Supreme Court’s overturning last year of Roe v. Wade, a case that recognized a constitutional right to abortion.
“This year will be a somber reminder of the millions of lives lost to abortion in the past 50 years, but also a celebration of how far we have come and where we as a movement need to focus our effort as we enter this new era in our quest to protect life,” Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said in a statement.
Since U.S. women have lost their constitutional right to abortion, states have been making their own laws about the procedure, resulting in a hodgepodge assortment of laws. Some states have enacted near total bans on abortion.
Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.