Crowds gathered in downtown Columbus today for the Ohio March for Life, marking the first such event since the state's voters approved a constitutional amendment expanding abortion rights. The march, held under the theme “With Every Woman, for Every Child,” mirrors the message of the national March for Life held annually in Washington, D.C.
Social media posts from the event showed marchers carrying handmade signs in support of the pro-life cause. The national March for Life organizers, known for holding the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration, have been increasingly focused on fostering state-level pro-life marches in recent years.
Speakers at the Ohio event included Bishop Robert Pipta of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma and Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue. Kevin Jorrey, director of the Diocese of Toledo’s Office for Life and Justice, emphasized the importance of standing up for the vulnerable, particularly young mothers, regardless of the political landscape.
“No matter what happens legislatively, politically, we’re out here to stand up and stand for life,” Jorrey told local outlet The Blade. “We get to be the voice for the voiceless.”
Though attendance figures for this year’s march are still pending, last year’s event in Columbus drew an estimated 5,000 participants.
The Ohio March for Life comes in the wake of a contentious constitutional amendment passed in November 2023, which guarantees individuals the right to make their own reproductive decisions, including the right to abortion. The amendment allows some state restrictions after fetal viability, but does not clearly define when viability begins.
The Ohio Catholic Conference, representing the state’s bishops, strongly opposed the amendment, with financial backing from the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. Ohio has been a focal point of the national abortion debate in recent years, with laws like the 2019 "heartbeat" bill, and a six-week abortion ban temporarily enacted after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
According to the Ohio Health Department, the number of abortions in the state rose to 22,000 in 2023, up from the previous year. The majority of abortions—63%—were performed on women less than nine weeks pregnant.