March for Life Chicago Draws Record Numbers, Over 5,000 in -15 degree Wind Chill, to Decry Abortion

Tom Ciesielka : Jan 19, 2016
MarchForLifeChicago.com

"We are pro-life, we are pro-baby, we are pro-woman, and we are pro-love." -Abortion survivor Melissa Ohden

(Chicago)—Over 5,000 pro-life advocates gathered in yesterday's extreme cold to parade through Chicago's Loop, proclaiming the sanctity of human life and calling for the overturn of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the United States. The 11th annual March for Life Chicago [www.MarchForLifeChicago.com] drew pro-life citizens from across the Midwest to join Chicagoans to participate in the Federal Plaza rally, then march past Chicago City Hall and the Illinois State Building. The route was intended to represent the three levels of government being urged to restrict abortion: federal, state and municipal. Archbishop Blase Cupich, United States Congressmen Randy Hultgren (R-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Reverend Corey Brooks, pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago and abortion survivor Melissa Ohden were among those who addressed the crowd. (Screengrab via Illinoisrighttolife.org)

The Loop was filled with yellow umbrellas and balloons, red hats, and signs with various pro-life messages as diverse groups, including those representing multiple church denominations and a variety of college campuses, came together from across Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, and Ohio.

Emily Zender, President of the March for Life Chicago and Executive Director of the Illinois Right to Life, welcomed the crowd, thanking them for coming together and lightheartedly acknowledging their commitment as "pro-life popsicles."

Archbishop of Chicago, Blase Cupich, drew laughs with his remark that, "This isn't cold, it's Chicago!" He then contrasted the bitter cold weather with the warmth in the hearts of those gathered, "for the unborn child," and called upon the federal government to "make room for these children."

In a show of bipartisan unity, Congressmen Randy Hultgren (R-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL), took the stage together to affirm their pro-life positions. Hultgren invited those also attending the national March for Life in Washington, DC, to drop by his office.

Rev. Corey Brooks, of Chicago's New Beginnings Church, called on Planned Parenthood to quit targeting the African-American community, which makes up 13% of the country population yet receives a third of all abortions.

Abortion survivor Melissa Ohden shared how she was aborted and left to soak in a burning saline solution for five days—a process intend to kill her. Known for her Congressional testimony, she elicited emotional responses as she shared her story, ending with a declaration that, "We are pro-life, we are pro-baby, we are pro-woman, and we are pro-love." (Screengrab via Illinoisrighttolife.org)

Comedian Dan Kulp cracked jokes but was serious about why he and his wife have adopted three children with special needs, including the first child with Down syndrome to be adopted out of China.

"Jess" spoke of her "well-planned out life" disrupted by a pregnancy at age 19. The young woman explained that her now-regretted abortion did not change the fact that she became a mother, but made her the mother of a child who died.

Additionally, Orthodox Bishop Paul Gassios opened the event in prayer, Students for Life Illinois Student Leader from DePaul Eareen James Yambao led the March, and Bears co-owner Pat McCaskey spoke at the official afterparty at the Sidebar Grille.

For more about March for Life Chicago visit www.MarchForLifeChicago.com.