It looked a lot like a rock concert except for the priests pushing it up and the partying nuns moving to the music.
Friday morning's events were part of the pro-life March For Life rally and Mass For Life. They were meant for young adults and children. Pictures of aborted fetuses were replaced with worded signs warning of regret after abortion.
It’s the kind of delivery that’s catching on.
"I feel like it's just celebrating life and it’s so exuberant and such a great experience," said pro-lifer Emily Chamberlin, 18.
All the tickets for the rally were distributed almost immediately. More than 17,000 teens from around the country were there.
The rally also marked the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a law that existed lifetimes before many in the crowd. Kids who attended said being there gave them strength to carry on their fight.
"Sometimes it’s hard, like you don’t want to be different. You don’t want to stand up and say, 'This is what I believe,' but you really have to," said Joseph Scholley, 18, of Fairfax. "You have to say, 'This is important for me,' you have to say, 'This is what I think.'"
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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
The annual March for Life kicked off with a rally on the National Mall. The protesters then marched down Constitution
Avenue to the Supreme Court.
Road Closures Scheduled for Rally:
Several downtown streets were temporarily shut down for the March for Life events, which have been taking place every year since 1974. Fourteen Metrobus lines are also being rerouted due to the rally.
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., these roads were closed:
- 7th Street between I and F streets, NW
- F Street between 7th and 10th streets, NW
- 10th Street between F Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
- Constitution Avenue between 10th and 12th streets, NW
- 7th Street between Constitution Avenue and Jefferson Street, NW
- Constitution between 7th Street, NW and First Street, NE
- First Street between Constitution Avenue, NE and East Capitol Street, SE
The D.C. Department of Transportation says it expects heavy pedestrian traffic throughout the day, including after the events conclude around 5 p.m.
Minor traffic delays are also expected on Independence and Constitution Avenues, as well as roadways near the Smithsonian, L’Enfant Plaza and Federal Triangle Metro stations.
In addition, Metro says customers using these bus lines should add additional time to their travel:
- From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 22, Metrobus routes 32, 34, 36, 42, 54, 63, 64, 70, D6, P2, P6, S2 and S4 will be detoured due to street closures at F St., NW, 10th St. Constitution Ave., and 12th St. to the National Mall.
- From noon to 5 p.m., Metrobus routes 32, 34, 36, 54, 70, 96, P2 and P6 will be detoured due to street closures at 1st St., NE/SE, between Constitution and Independence Ave.
