Anti-abortion rally storms DC

Anti-abortion activists on Friday will descend upon Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life, protesting the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

While two feet of snow may begin to fall in the city by Friday afternoon, activists said it would not stop the annual rally.

{mosads}“The March has gone on through rain, snow, sub-freezing temperatures and more as the solemn day of the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and will do so again tomorrow,” the March for Life Education & Defense Fund said in a statement on Friday.

“Tens of thousands of people from across the country have traveled to Washington for this massive event and we ask participants to use their best judgment as to whether they should come in person or watch on TV,” added Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life.

Thousands of people are expected to participate in the march, which begins at 1:00 p.m. and ends right as flurries are expected to begin at 3:00 p.m.

Attendees will start the day with an hour-long rally at the Washington Monument at noon with an appearance by Republican primary candidate Carly Fiorina, who has made opposition to abortion rights one of the pillars of her presidential campaign.

From there, the march will proceed down Constitution Avenue and finish at the Supreme Court steps, where several anti-abortion activists, authors and politicians will also deliver messages.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Ia.), who has led the charge in Congress to defund abortion-provider Planned Parenthood, will also speak.

The theme of this year’s march is “Pro-Life and Pro-Woman Go Hand in Hand.”

The anti-abortion movement was catalyzed last year by a series of undercover videos purporting to show Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in America, discussing the sale of fetal body parts harvested from abortions.

The videos, released by the Center for Medical Progress, have prompted a congressional investigation and caused several states to divest the women’s health clinic of state funds.

They have also prompted a lawsuit from Planned Parenthood, which argues the group broke the law in taking the secret videos. Planned Parenthood has denied profiting from the sale of fetal tissue and organs, saying they are only reimbursed in transactions for storage and preservation fees.

Congress also voted to defund Planned Parenthood last year in response to the videos but the measure was vetoed by President Obama.