Anti-Choice Zealots Headed to DC
Here's where they'll be
The 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling is coming up on January 22 and anti-choice zealots (and busses full of Catholic School kids looking to get out of class and wander around the nation’s capital for couple days) are making their annual pilgrimage to DC for the March for Life.
The main event is the March for Life 2023 on Friday, January 20. This year’s theme is “Next Steps: Marching into a Post-Roe America.’ The event kicks off with a pre-rally concert at 11am, followed by a rally headlined by some washed up former football coach, the guy who played Jesus on a TV show that was so bad it had to be crowd funded, and Billy Graham’s grifter son.
The march is taking a new route this year, starting with a rally on the National Mall at around 10th St., between the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Castle. The march will head north to Constitution and then across the Mall at 3rd St. for what they hope will be an iconic image in front of the Capitol, before swinging past the house office buildings and heading up to the Supreme Court.
This year the March for Life did get a couple real politicians to agree to come out and join them. House Majority Leader Steve Scalice, back-bench GOP Rep Chris Smith (NJ-4), and election denying Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch are all planning on speaking at the march.
The March is only one of a dozen events happening in DC this weekend. Here are some other events they’ve got planned:
March for Life Expo: Jan 18-20 at the Renaissance DC Downtown Hotel
Progressive Anti-Abortion Union has protests of the Democratic National Committee and Planned Parenthood planned for Jan 18 and 19. These are the folks who were arrested last summer for stealing aborted fetuses and hiding them in their basement. They’re real weirdos… even by March for Life standards so we’re not going to post details of their events, but if you’re into that kinda thing you can get details on their instagram page.
Capitol Hill 101: Jan 19 from 11am to noon. Seminar on lobbying for the anti-choice movement. The seminar is free but registration is required. The session will be online and at the Renaissance DC Downtown Hotel.
National Prayer Vigil for Life Opening Mass: Jan 19 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Opening mass starts at 5pm and then they apparently pray all night until the closing mass at 8am.
National Prayer Service: Jan 20 at 8:30am. After the National Prayer Vigil, anti-choice zealots will head to the DAR Constitution Hall at 1776 D St NW to continue the action at the National Prayer Service. This year’s event will honor leaders of the deceptive fake clinic movement who are notorious for luring pregnant people in with the promise of healthcare only to use guilt and shame to withhold real reproductive healthcare.
Rose Dinner Gala: Jan 20 at the Renaissance DC Downtown Hotel. The marquee social event of the anti-choice calendar! This year’s dinner is headlined by Jonathan Roumie, who played Jesus in a crowd-funded tv series. Cocktail hour starts at 5:30pm, dinner is at 7pm and the program starts at 8pm. Tickets are sold out but the lobby of the hotel IS open to the public if you want to check it out.
Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life: Jan 21 at 8am at Georgetown University. After the March for Life, the action continues with a political rally masquerading as an academic conference. This year’s conference is headlined by Jeanne Mancini, the President of the March for Life Education Fund.
Students for Life National Pro-Life Summit: Jan 21 at 8am at the Omni Shoreham (2500 Calvert St. NW ). While the older crowd gathers at the Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life, Students for Life will meet for their national pro-life summit. While this is being marketed as a student-led event, it’s worth noting that half of the speakers are from either the Heritage Foundation or the Alliance Defending Freedom — both well-funded right wing institutions.
DC Rises Up for Choice
Before the hoards of anti-choice protesters make it into town we’re already seeing reproductive freedom artwork popping up around the district:
Have you seen reproductive freedom posters or stickers up around town? Snap a photo and post it in the comments!
Or, if you want to print out your own posters or stickers to distribute around town, check out this collection that ShutDownDC commissioned least year!
Reproaction Counter Protests at SCOTUS
On January 20, Reproaction, which has been holding down a left flank of the reproductive freedom movement, is planning a head-on counter protest to the March for Life at the Supreme Court. Meet at 12 noon at SCOTUS!
Women’s March: Bigger than Roe National Day of Action
To mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade the Women’s March is planning a series of mobilizations around the country as part of the Bigger than Roe National Day of Action (which is happening on the actual anniversary of Roe v. Wade). This year, Women’s March moved the main mobilization into the field, at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison.
Moving the main action into a key battleground state is a smart move for National Women’s March Organizers. But there still is a Bigger than Roe mobilization in DC. The action starts at 12 noon on Jan 22, and organizers are asking participants to RSVP to get the meeting location.