WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Friday, at least 2,000 Louisiana residents will join hundreds of thousands of pro-life citizens from around the U.S. at the annual March for Life, with the majority of these residents consisting of high school and college students.

Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life, is on site and said, "As we mark 44 years of legalized abortion in our nation, we march with the hope that, in time, the destruction of innocent human lives will be a thing of the past.  We are excited that more and more young Louisianians continue to stand for human rights for all, born and unborn.  We also march with a renewed sense of hope that we can end tax-payer funding of abortion, defund the abortion industry, and place pro-life justices on the Supreme Court.  The pro-life movement will continue to march until legal protection is assured for the weakest among us, the unborn child."

The March for Life has taken place every year since the first anniversary of Roe v. Wade on Jan. 22, 1974. That year, about 20,000 people rallied on the west steps of the U.S. Capitol then marched in a "Circle of Life" around the Capitol Building before fanning out to lobby their members of Congress, demanding action on behalf of the unborn. The March for Life has grown dramatically over the years, from 50,000 in 1976 to more than 650,000 by 2013.

The march down Constitution Avenue to Capitol Hill and the U.S. Supreme Court will follow a rally that will feature prominent speakers such as Kellyanne Conway, senior counsel to President Trump; Benjamin Watson, former New Orleans Saint and current Baltimore Raven; Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood director; Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York City; and more.  Louisiana marchers will gather between 11:30 and 1:00 PM on the north side of the Washington Monument prior to the March for Life.

On Thursday, 1,400 students attending the March for Life will participate in Geaux Forth, a large youth rally hosted by Louisiana Right to Life. That event will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Alexandria, Va.

Benjamin Clapper of Louisiana Right to Life and other team members are on site and available for interviews.  If you are interested in interviews with a local high school or college student, please contact us as well.