SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Tens of thousands of people who oppose abortion rallied in San Francisco Saturday, the 38th anniversary of the law allowing abortions in the United States.
Estimates of the crowd size for the seventh annual Walk for Life West Coast ranged from 35,000 to 45,000, The Golden Gate [X]Press Online reported. Organizers said people were energized by Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives who are pushing for legislation to re-enforce the ban on federal funding of abortions.
"The health care bill has mobilized pro-lifers in an unprecedented way," said Dolores Meehan, co-leader and co-founder of Walk for Life.
"It keeps growing. It's an incredible endeavor that all comes together."
A counter rally of a few hundred pro-choice advocates also was held in support of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade.
"They're so strong that there's no airspace," abortion-rights advocate Grace Severtson said of the anti-abortion crowd.
There was a large police presence and both sides sounded messages of peace. The result was minimal confrontation.
