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Anti-abortion activists rallied in Salt Lake City on Saturday as part of an annual national display that this year was partly in response to a series of women's marches throughout the country a week ago.
About 500 supporters joined the "March 4 Life" from downtown's Washington Square to the Utah Capitol's Hall of Governors, braving frigid weather to highlight what supporters saw as the plight of unborn children who can't advocate for themselves.
At the Capitol, speakers also voiced their hopes of seeing the U.S. Supreme Court overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, especially in light of Republican Donald J. Trump's recent presidential victory.
Marchers carried signs with slogans such as "Stop the war on infants," and "Abortion kills babies." Remarks ranged from heartfelt personal experiences to firebrand-style political activism.
"There are an estimated 59 million young children aborted … since Roe v. Wade," event emcee and local radio host Rod Arquette told the crowd.
"Let's list them on a wall like we have the Vietnam Memorial wall in Washington," Arquette said. "If you put all those names on a wall, that wall would stretch for more than 60 miles. That is what we are talking about."
Mary Taylor, president of Pro-Life Utah, which sponsored the March 4 Life, also urged those gathered to contact their state lawmakers in support of new abortion restrictions now before the Utah Legislature.
One of those measures, sponsored by state Rep. Kay Christofferson, R-Lehi, seeks to ban abortions past 20 weeks, based on what one organizer called "the baby's ability to feel pain."
"Abortions at 20 weeks literally rip a baby limb from limb," Deanna Holland, vice president of Pro-Life Utah, told The Salt Lake Tribune after the event.
Damian Kidd, an attorney, told the crowd of being given up for adoption rather than being aborted by his then-15-year-old birth mother, before echoing the call for the overturning legal abortion.
"I am for the hundreds of thousands every year who are given the gift of life by their creator, but were never given an opportunity to take a breath and travel on their own journey in life because of a bad law," Kidd said. "I am for changing that bad law. Our country has got it wrong before, and it got it wrong on this, and it can be fixed."
Laurie Jensen, of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Salt Lake City, told the crowd of becoming a mother three times between ages 14 and 19. Her first child was given up for adoption, the second she kept, and the third she decided to abort as a consequence of getting divorced and being a single mother.
"I am pro-life, very much pro-life, but I believe in choice — everything about life is a choice," Jensen said. "We all make them, sometimes life-altering choices. Abortion seems like a quick fix, but it lingers forever."
Those making the hourlong journey on the sidewalk up to the Capitol drew support from passing motorists who honked and waved — while other passers-by expressed disdain.
"My body, my choice," one passing woman shouted, while a man yelled, "You're wrong, but we love you anyway!"
Marilyn Maestas, of Ogden, said she marched because "people need to recognize that unborn babies are truly human beings and have the right to live."
Dusty Allen, of Taylorsville, said he was "fighting for life and to stop abortions at any stage. All life is precious. The moment that sperm hits the egg, life begins."
North Salt Lake resident Carrie Murphy, who marched with her husband and their adopted daughter, said she wants women thinking of having an abortion to consider alternatives.
"There are so many couples that want to adopt, that every child is wanted — maybe not by the birth mother, but by another couple," she said. "We're trying to let people know that women who bear children that they can't keep are great heroes."
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