When you attend the National March for Life, the first thing you’ll notice is the cold.
You might not feel it all at once. You might, like this overconfident reporter, even take your gloves off to better grip your pen.
You’ll question your decision when the stoic secret service agent to your left casually lifts his ski mask over his bright red nose. You’ll know you made a mistake when your favorite ballpoint pen slips through your numb fingers and into a mud puddle.
The second thing you’ll notice is the event’s size. In the shadow of the Washington Monument last Friday, I watched thousands of people wind their way through metal detectors to participate in a pre-march rally.
At various points, I found myself in close proximity to Catholic and Russian Orthodox clergymen with puffer coats under their robes, babies wrapped into blanket burritos, gaggles of teenagers wielding handmade signs and banners, and, once, in front of a complimentary dessert table, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The third thing you’ll notice is how many of these people are young. For every older priest and Governor, I seemed to encounter five more people under thirty years old.
Being under thirty myself, I decided to ask some of my people why they were spending Friday at the National March for Life.
I approached Emma Smith (16) after seeing her sign, a striking red, black and white creation featuring a growing, pre-born baby in the center.
“I wanted my sign to pack a punch,” she told me. “I wanted people to understand that these are babies — real humans.”
Emma attended the National March with her Christian high school. She says the group traveled all the way from North Carolina speak up against abortion.
“We’re here to celebrate life,” Emma explained. “We just want people to know that God loves babies.”
God’s love for preborn children was a common, deeply-held conviction among those I interviewed.
“I believe abortion is very bad because babies are created in the image of God,” Adventures in Odyssey superfan Isaiah (12) told me, holding up two of his many signs.
I asked Isaiah’s friend, Bets (10), why she thought people her age should support the pro-life movement.
“Because we are close to the age of the people we are wanting to live,” she explained, showing me the sign hanging around her neck.
I met college friends Sophia (21) and Katherine (21) just inside the rally grounds. Katherine was excited to join the march for the first time.
“I just think it’s amazing,” she told me, smiling. “The amount of people that come out here to support the cause is pretty inspiring.”
Sophia said she grew to love children after growing up an only child. She and Katherine skipped classes to show government and church leaders that young people care about the pro-life cause.
Siblings Margaret (15) and Jefferson (17) are exactly the people Sophia hoped would show up and show out.
“We’re coming from Rockville, Maryland. We go to Rockville High School and we’re missing it,” Jefferson told me, laughing. “Sorry Rockville High School!”
It was an easy decision for the 17-year-old, who says the Holy Spirit convicted him to support preborn babies at a young age.
“[I’m marching] to be a voice for the unborn. I find it is very much motivated by the Holy Spirit and the convictions I’ve been given.”
He continued:
For Margaret, sacrificing a day of school hadn’t been so easy.
“I’ve [always] been against abortion and I want babies to live, but, before [last night], I [hesitated] because I had a few assignments.”
On Thursday night, she told me, something changed her mind.
“I don’t know what it was, but I just felt really motivated. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll skip school to come.’”
Amanda (22) attended the march with her parish. She told me she marched to honor babies like her brother.
Amanda’s friend Maryella (20) hoped youth attendance at the march would convince other young people to openly support life.
“I feel like a lot of people think that young people are very for abortion because it’s ‘new and modern,’ but I think a lot of youth do disagree with abortion and [know] that it’s really harmful to use it as a tool for their convenience.”
She continued:
Like Maryella, Kamila (16), Abby (18) and Olivia (17) hoped to represent their generation well.
“It’s going to impact us a little later in life, but [being pro-life] is something we’re already thinking about,” Kamila explained. “It’s important to represent our age group.”
“I think it’s important to stand up for people who can’t speak for themselves,” Abby added, “because if we don’t do it, who will?”
The trio felt emboldened by the support of President Trump and Vice President Vance.
“I think it’s awesome, because we finally have pro-life advocates in our government system to speak up for the unborn and make laws that can outlaw [abortion].”
“I think it’s a beautiful thing to be in Washington D.C. so soon after the inauguration and to represent something so beautiful,” Olivia reflected.
Caleb (24), Adam (19) and Nathan (20) also expressed cautious optimism about the new administration.
“Vance and Trump’s record on abortion hasn’t been my favorite,” Adam admitted, “but I think it’s very good that we have the support of some of the most powerful people in government.
“I think even having their ear turned to the pro-life movement is a good first step.”
The young men are members of the Knights of Columbus — one of the National March for Life’s biggest sponsors. They intend to help the pro-life movement shape a culture that values life.
“The culture that we foster now is the culture that we’re going to foster our kids into,” Nathan told me.
“It’s important for us to interact with as many people as possible [and start] building strong communities and families.”
Matteo (19), Diego (19), Nazareth (18), Adolfo (18), Christian (19), Collin (18), and Collin (19) bussed to the march with the University of Notre Dame’s Right to Life Group.
“There’s millions who get killed every year from abortion, and we’re here to speak up against that—because they can’t speak for themselves,” Matteo told me. They hope this year’s march will encourage U.S. leaders to enact progressive change on abortion.
Young people weren’t just part of the marchers. 22-year-old Hannah Lape took the stage at the pre-march rally to speak on behalf of Wheaton College.
“Wheaton was invited to lead the march last August,” Lape told me, “and we knew that speaking was part of that invite. I knew I was going to be taking the job as [Wheaton’s Voice for Life] president, so everyone kind of just agreed that I would [speak].”
“I was excited, too!” she added.
Lape hopes young people will lead the pro-life movement in the era of social media.
Part and parcel of that, said Lape, is combatting pro-abortion lies online.
Better than any other metric, the passion and persistence of the young people at this year’s March for Life illustrates the health and vitality of the American pro-life movement.
Vive la Résistance!
