Massive attendance at March for Life #MFL2017
After a week of debate over crowd sizes at various events in the nation’s capital, organizers anticipate a huge crowd at the March for Life Friday.
The 43rd annual pro-life gathering will get a boost from notable speakers, including Vice President Mike Pence, key adviser to President Trump Kellyanne Conway, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and NFL star Benjamin Watson, and unlike last year’s event, weather will not deter participants.
“Each of our speakers exemplifies this year’s theme, ‘the power of one’, in a beautiful way,” said Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life. “Their words are sure to motivate the marchers, as well as the millions of pro-life Americans who will be watching, who dedicate themselves to restoring a culture of life in the United States.”
The march begins at 11:45 a.m. ET with a rally near the Washington Monument and then proceeds to the Supreme Court building. Also scheduled to speak are Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, and Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey.
Washington has had two major events in the last week that have generated debate over crowd sizes, the inauguration of President Trump one week ago and the “Women’s March on Washington” a day later.
Both drew enormous crowds and were, for the most part, orderly. But Trump’s team got into a battle with much of the media over the size of his event’s crowd, and estimates for the women’s march varied, with some topping 1 million.
The March for Life, held each year to lament the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, typically draws supporters from around the country.
The first March for Life drew an estimated 20,000 people, but in recent years, the event has exploded. An estimated 650,000 attended the 2013 event, although last year, a blizzard dumped two feet of snow on Washington and the crowd was much smaller.
Pence will be the first vice president or president ever to speak at the March for Life.
“We are very pleased to welcome Vice President Mike Pence to speak at this year’s March for Life,” Mancin said. “Vice President Pence has been a friend and champion of the pro-life cause his entire career. Pro-life leaders, activists, volunteers and marchers will be thrilled to hear from Vice President Pence and are bound to leave the March for Life even more energized than when they came.”
Kellyanne Conway to be joined by newly added Congressional Members, rounding out an exciting line-up of guest speakers
Washington, D.C. – The March for Life is thrilled to announce its official list of guest speakers, set to address the world’s largest annual pro-life demonstration in Washington, D.C. on January 27th, 2017.
Kellyanne Conway, the highest-ranking White House official to ever speak at the March, will now be joined by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), Representative Mia Love (R-UT) and Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), along with many other prominent pro-life figures – including Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson, former Planned Parenthood Director and founder of ‘And Then There Were None’ Abby Johnson, Mexican Telenovela star Karyme Lozano, author and radio host Eric Metaxas, Bishop Vincent Matthews of the Church of God in Christ, who advocates for adoption in the African-American community, and a surprise VIP at the March for Life rally on the National Mall on January 27th, 2017.
“I’m delighted to welcome a remarkable line-up of rally speakers for what will truly be a historic 44th annual March for Life,” said Jeanne Mancini, President of March for Life.
“Each of our speakers exemplifies this year’s theme, ‘the power of one’, in a beautiful way,” noted Mancini. “Their words are sure to motivate the marchers, as well as the millions of pro-life Americans who will be watching, who dedicate themselves to restoring a culture of life in the United States.”
Tens of thousands of Americans are set to travel from across the nation to D.C. for this year’s March for Life, which seeks to promote the dignity of every human life and to stand against the greatest human rights violation of our time – abortion-on-demand.
