The annual national March for Life is scheduled for this Friday, capping off a very busy week for Washington, D.C.
This year’s march, the biggest annual event for the anti-abortion movement, comes only a few days after President Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States and three years after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022. The march will begin at its usual starting spot near the Washington Monument and will conclude outside the Library of Congress.
Here’s all you need to know about the 2025 March for Life.
What is the March for Life?
The March for Life originally started on Jan. 22, 1974, the first anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and was held to allow people to protest the Supreme Court’s decision peacefully. Since then, the march has always been held on the Friday closest to Jan. 22, which is Jan. 24 this year.
This year’s theme is “Life: Why We March,” which aims to provide “renewed energy and focus” to the anti-abortion movement in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s overturn, according to Jeanne Mancini, the president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund.
Who is speaking at this year’s March for Life?
High-profile speakers at this year’s event include Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). Prior to DeSantis suspending his 2024 presidential bid in the Republican Party’s primary, the Florida governor stood by the state’s six-week abortion ban that he signed into law.
Leaders of the anti-abortion movement, including Mancini and Jennie Bradley, the president-elect for Mancini’s position, are set to speak at this year’s event. Live Action President Lila Rose is also scheduled to serve as a speaker.
Surfer Bethany Hamilton, best known for surviving a shark attack at the age of 13, is confirmed to speak ahead of the march. All of the speakers will follow a performance by the Christian ban Unspoken.
Will Trump speak at the event?
Trump became the first sitting president to speak at the March for Life when he spoke at the event in 2020. However, he is not scheduled to make an appearance this year, as he will be visiting North Carolina and Los Angeles, which are still recovering from Hurricane Helene and raging wildfires, respectively.
How do I get to the march?
Washington has a Metro rail and bus service, which are likely the most reliable means of travel within the district. The Metro station closest to the Washington Monument, the march’s starting location, is Smithsonian. Once the march finishes outside the Library of Congress, the nearest Metro station is Capitol South.
When does the march start?
This year’s march, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern, will follow Unspoken’s concert and a rally, during which the event’s speakers will talk. The concert will start at 11 a.m. Eastern, with the rally being held at the same location an hour later.
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Why continue to march when Roe v. Wade was overturned?
The March for Life organization cites how over 900,000 abortions are still carried out annually and that this number will only decrease partially on a yearly basis. As such, the march is still held every year with the aim of changing the culture’s view on abortion.