By: Erica Proffer

“I was at the event where the governor made that statement and I knew he had to be talking about the entire world, where there are many millions of unintended pregnancies and many millions of abortions that occur,” Pojman said.

The Guttmacher Institute estimates 73 million abortions take place each year.

Northern Africa and Western Asia have the highest abortion rate, the data shows.

“Much of the U.S. follows what Texas does in terms of our lawmaking … We believe that many nations follow what the U.S. does. So, really, it is very relevant to talk about worldwide statistics,” Pojman said.

By: KVUE staff

Starting at 2 p.m., a livestream began from a stage within sight of the Capitol. Those continuing to caravan can listen to the event’s broadcast on The Bridge at 101.1 FM and 1120 AM.

A recorded message from Gov. Greg Abbott was shown and a special proclamation was read. Other notable speakers included State Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels), Bishop Joe Vasquez with the Catholic Diocese of Austin and Abby Johnson, a former clinic director for Planned Parenthood.

Participating organizations included the Texas Alliance for Life, Young Conservatives of Texas and dozens of others.

The Texas Handmaids, a pro-choice nonprofit organization, were counter-protesting the Texas Rally for Life on Saturday.

By: KVUE staff

AUSTIN, Texas — Thousands of demonstrators took part in Austin’s annual Texas Rally for Life on Saturday afternoon.

The anti-abortion rally kicked off around 1 p.m. at the intersection of 14th Street and San Jacinto Boulevard in Downtown Austin, with a march to the Capitol.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the crowd size was between 5,000 and 6,000 people. Around 5,000 people attended the event last year.

By: Luis de Leon

Some pro-life advocates believe the money should be spent differently.

“There are some 23 wonderful agencies in the greater Austin area that help a woman who has a crisis pregnancy with alternatives to abortion, including adoption,” said Joe Pojman, executive director for Texas Alliance for Life. “We would like the council to consider spending money on compassionate alternatives to abortion.”