2026 March For Life
Image Courtesy of Kyrien Keeton
By Kyrien Keeton
The annual March for Life passed through Washington, D.C. last Friday, January 23, marking fifty-three years since the first protest in 1974, the first anniversary of the Roe V. Wade ruling. Despite Roe V. Wade being overturned in 2022, with abortion restrictions at the behest of individual states, the pro-life movement has a long road ahead of them before their mission “to not only change laws at the state and federal level, but to change the culture to ultimately make abortion unthinkable,” is realized.
In anticipation of the march, the Catholic University of America canceled afternoon classes, encouraging student participation. Hundreds of students from Catholic University joined young people, families, churches, and other organized pilgrimages from all across the country as they waited on the national mall for the march to begin. Reunions broke out across the field as people reunited with friends from past marches.
Low temperatures in concurrence with the solemn topic matter did little to dampen the mood. High energy manifested in bouts of singing and praise, with one CUA student climbing a tree and starting a call-and-response chant from up high. After Campus Ministry hosted a sign-making event the previous night, students arrived with a range of unique designs, with quotes ranging from “Without the right to life, the term human rights means nothing,” to “Ur Mom Chose Life!”
Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, the march did not run its course without opposition. Anti-ICE and pro-choice protesters voiced their dissent against the pro-life cause, stationing themselves on the sides of the road as the procession marched past. A few aggressive anti-Catholic protesters expressed their distaste for the religion with microphones. The religious intolerance did not faze the crowd, many of whom completed the march with rosaries in hand.
In fact, the religious nature of the march has been a recurrent theme over the years. Though participants from all religions or non-religious backgrounds attend the march, including atheists, members of the Latter-Day Saints, and Protestants of all varieties, it can be observed that the atmosphere is inherently Catholic. Banners with the face of Christ and the Holy Mother are hoisted above the crowd. Religious sisters, brothers, and priests from all orders fill the gathering, intermingling with other religions. Statues of Mary are carried from start to finish, crosses and crucifixes are a common appearance in the hands of the protesters. Christians shouted rallying cries from the steps of the Library of Congress, “There is no God but Christ.” All around were signs and waving banners, reading, “God will not be mocked.”
The march ended, and the crowd dispersed. For CUA students, that meant returning to campus for the opportunity to see Lila Rose speak in a free event about the pro-life movement, and its next steps after the overturning of Roe V. Wade. The small room in Heritage Hall was packed, and Lila Rose remained after the talk for a meet and greet with students.
One point that was continuously emphasized throughout the day is that being pro-life is not an annual occurrence once a year for the March for Life, but an identity that the participants live every day.
