The March for Life rallies against abortion with an eye toward the November elections

The Associated Press
January 19, 2024, 6:18 AM



FILE - Anti-abortion activists march outside of the U.S. Capitol during the March for Life in Washington, Jan. 20, 2023. More than a year after a generational victory for their movement, opponents of abortion rights will rally in the nation's capital with an eye on presidential elections that could be heavily influenced by abortion politics. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)(AP/Jose Luis Magana)

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a year after a generational victory for their movement, opponents of abortion rights are rallying in the nation’s capital on Friday with an eye on presidential elections that could be heavily influenced by abortion politics. ... Thousands of protesters are expected on the National Mall for an hour of speeches and a march past the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court. But snow and frigid temperatures have been gripping the Washington metropolitan area, which could affect turnout for the march.

Friday’s March for Life is the second such event since the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended the federal protection for abortion rights enshrined in Roe v. Wade. Last year’s march was understandably triumphant, with organizers relishing a state-by-state fight in legislatures around the country.

That fight rages on, with mixed results. The ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization reverted abortion lawmaking back to the states, and 14 states are now enforcing bans on abortion throughout pregnancy. Two more have such bans on hold because of court rulings. And another two have bans that take effect when cardiac activity can be detected, about six weeks into pregnancy — often before women know they’re pregnant.

But abortion restrictions have also lost at the ballot box in Ohio, Kansas and Kentucky. And total bans have produced high-profile causes for abortion rights supporters to rally around. Kate Cox, a Texas mother of two, sought an abortion after learning the baby she was carrying had a fatal genetic condition. Her request for an exemption from Texas’ ban, one of the country’s strictest, was denied by the state Supreme Court, and she left Texas to seek an abortion elsewhere. ... Movement organizers now expect abortion rights to be a major Democratic rallying cry in President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.

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AP National Writer David Crary contributed to this story.