Thousands of pro-life supporters will rally in Washington D.C. this Friday for their annual March for Life demonstration.
There was a smaller march with the same message in New Haven Monday afternoon.
“Life is life,” Norma Contois from Branford said.
Every year Contois voices her opposition to Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized the right to abortion 44 years ago.
“Actions have consequences and if you’re old enough to have sex, you’re old enough to know that one of the results can be pregnancy,” she said, “so why should that child suffer and lose its life.”
After a noon mass at the Church of St. Mary on Hillhouse Ave., the pro-life demonstrators marched in front of City Hall and New Haven’s courthouse.
“It is so important to us that the unborn be protected,” said Elizabeth Grayson of New Haven.
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Contois carried a sign calling for the defunding of Planned Parenthood.
“I should not have to pay for someone else’s mistakes,” she said.
According to data from Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, abortions are six percent of the services it provides. More than 90 percent are in areas like contraception, cancer screenings and STD and HIV testing.
One of the biggest misconceptions with the administration that’s coming in is that they will be able to get rid of us,” said Kafi Rouse of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, “that’s just not going to happen. These doors will stay open. Planned Parenthood will be here for the next 100 years.”
According to Planned Parenthood's website, "federal funding is from Medicad reimbursements for preventive care, and some is from Title X. There's no keep-Planned-Parenthood-running part of the federal budget."
At the pro-life rally, Grayson marched with her husband and four-month-old baby. She is hopeful court appointments during the Trump presidency could lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned.
“She is exactly the same baby here that she was when she was inside of me,” Grayson said.
