To mark the 28th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, abortion-rights opponents assembled in Washington, D.C., yesterday for the 27th annual March for Life to protest abortion, marching from the White House to the Supreme Court. The parade was preceded by welcoming speeches from members of Congress, religious leaders, and heads of antiabortion organizations who have called for the overturning of Roe v. Wade and a ban on all abortions. Leaders particularly emphasized the need to outlaw " partial-birth" abortion and the use of mifepristone (Laura Menge, Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 1/23). According to CNN, yesterday's protest rally drew more demonstrators than in past years, and abortion-rights opponents indicated that they find the Bush presidency "encouraging" to their cause (Lin/O'Connor, CNN, 1/22). Nellie Gray, president of March for Life Fund, which has sponsored the rally since 1974, said of the new president, "I would expect that any American who says he is pro-life will use his personal, professional and official position to overturn Roe v. Wade" (Murphy, Washington Post, 1/22). Although President Bush declined invitations to attend the march, which Gray called "extremely disappointing," the White House issued a statement to the protesters, read by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), saying, "Today you are gathered to remind our country ... that one of its ideals is the infinite value of human life. ... We share a great goal: To work toward a day when every child is welcomed in life and protected in law. ... We know this will not come easily or quickly ... [but] I believe we are making great progress toward that goal." Reps. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Melissa Hart (R-Penn.) Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kans.) also spoke at the event, promising to support antiabortion legislation in Congress (Menge, Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 1/23).

Come Young, Come All
In addition to attracting more abortion-rights opponents than in previous years, this year's event also drew more youth, as many young people have begun to join the antiabortion movement. Christian Defense Coalition Director Rev. Patrick Mahoney explained the new youth wave, saying, "What we're starting to see now is that this new generation coming up is tired of the fact that 40 million of their brothers and sisters have been killed, and they're standing for life," according to AgapePress, a Christian newswire service (Francher, AgapePress, 1/22). At least 10 young antiabortion protesters were arrested for blocking entry to the FDA building while demonstrating yesterday against mifepristone. Mahoney, whose group organized the protest, said, "We planned for these arrests. These young people want President Bush to get the message. This generation is being destroyed by this genocide" (Reuters, 1/22).

Abortion-Rights Supporters Comment
In a Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel op-ed titled, "Roe vs. Wade vs. Bush," National Organization for Women President Patricia Ireland asks, "How far will the Bush administration go -- and how far will it get -- in carrying out its antiabortion rights agenda? The president could effectively cut off reproductive rights without officially dismantling Roe. Many local and state officials are hostile to these rights and have already passed restriction after restriction. With the force of the federal government behind them, how much more effective will they be in making abortion unavailable, if not explicitly illegal?" She points to the nomination of John Ashcroft for attorney general, saying, "Bush has now thrown down the gauntlet with his nomination of John Ashcroft ... [who] would deny emergency contraception to a woman who has been raped and require a young girl, pregnant as a result of incest, to bear a child, even at the risk of her health" (Ireland, Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, 1/22). When asked whether Roe v. Wade could be overturned in the next four years of Bush's presidency, Gloria Feldt, president of Planned Parenthood, said, "It could absolutely happen in the next four years. It could happen sooner than that. ... The fundamental human and civil right to make our own childbearing choices, without government intervention, is more threatened now than it has been in all of the 28 years since Roe v. Wade was decided" (Lin, CNN, 1/22).