Activists March for Life as Supreme Court Considers Overturning Roe v. Wade

Pro-life activists staged the 49th annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Friday, as the coming year could potentially bring major changes to U.S. abortion laws.

Tens of thousands of people attended the rally, with some estimating that as many as 150,000 people showed up. This year's rally comes as the Supreme Court and its 6-3 conservative majority consider the Mississippi case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, centered around a law that would ban abortions after 15 weeks. If the court rules in favor of the ban, 20 other states could follow by restricting or banning abortions, effectively overturning Roe v. Wade. March for Life president Jeanne Mancini expressed hope to the crowd Friday that 2022 "will bring a historic change for life." The court is expected to issue a decision by the end of its current term on October.

Coverage across the spectrum, especially from left- and center-rated outlets, framed the event as having a victorious aura with Roe v. Wade's potential reversal later this year. Some reports described attendees as "protesters," "anti-choice" or "anti-abortion" and framed them negatively. Conversely, right-rated outlets usually described attendees as "pro-choice" or "pro-life," and tended to frame them more positively. Reports from the left and center often highlighted data that suggests a majority of Americans support abortion rights. Some coverage from the right focused on data that suggests more Americans support abortion restrictions and framed it as evidence of Democrats being out-of-touch with average Americans. UPDATE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the March as "pro-choice."