Thousands of anti-abortion advocates march downtown in Rally for Life

AUSTIN, Texas – Thousands of anti-abortion advocates marched through downtown Austin on Saturday before joining forces at the steps of the Capitol, marchers celebrating the sharp decline in abortions in Texas since the state’s near-total ban took effect.

“I have been involved in the pro-life movement for probably about seven or eight years now and, well, I am pregnant this year, and so I figured it especially important to be here not only as a pregnant person, but since the overturn of Roe v. Wade,” pro-life advocate Cassie Kohler said. “I do definitely see there is an increased need for a presence here in Texas.”

Cassie Kohler is one of thousands attending the Rally for Life. This year she used her pregnancy to send a message. 

“The message on my stomach is “weapon free zone,” she said. “The reason I wrote that is to show the people here that my womb is not a place for violence, it’s a place for peace and harmony, where my baby can live safely.”

Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States in 1973. 

In June 2022, the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, banning abortions in more than a dozen states, including Texas. 

A large crowd marched through downtown Austin on Saturday to celebrate that ruling. 

“We have so much to celebrate,” Dr. Ingrid Skop, vice president and director of medical affairs at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, said from the podium. “It is estimated that approximately 10,000 babies are alive in Texas today who would not be if the state of Texas had not chosen to support unborn life.”

“I came all the way from Denton, Texas to make my voice heard as a pro-life leftist,” said Miles Bedlan, a pro-life advocate. 

While marchers in Austin said this is about standing up for life, many other Texas woman say the state’s near-total abortion ban is dangerous, including pro-choice advocate Amanda Zurawski, who spoke out this week alongside President Biden.

“I had to wait until I got so sick that my life was considered in danger, one of the rare exceptions where a doctor can intervene in Texas,” Zurawski said at a Biden campaign event. “It took three days and a near death crash into septic shock before my doctor could finally provide the healthcare I needed.”

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Back at the rally, women and men say that if the president can have an opinion on this issue, they can too. 

“It’s not really about men can’t have an opinion, because Joe Biden, he is a man, everyone wants to hear his opinion, like all these elected representatives are men who are pro-abortion as well,” Bedlan said.

There are several pending lawsuits in Travis County and across the state as a result of Texas’ abortion bans.