Daily Texan

The Texas Alliance for Life organized the rally in Texas, which was meant to send a message to elected officials about the demand for anti-abortion legislation, said Amy O’Donnell, the Texas Alliance for Life communication director.

“It is our chance to show the media and our elected officials that Texas values life,” O’Donnell said. “There are so many across the state that have taken part in (rallies) locally and come here on buses to take part. Texas really loves our babies and values life.”

Joe Pojman, executive director of the Texas Alliance for Life, said the march raises awareness for alternatives to abortion such as adoption.

“I think women need to know that there are alternatives to abortion, that they are the best alternatives for themselves and for their baby,” Pojman said.

Speakers at the event also drew attention to bills filed for the Texas legislative session that began on Jan. 8. Pojman said it was important to show representatives that voters support anti-abortion measures. In the 2017 session, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 8, which restricted second-trimester abortions and required the burial or cremation of fetal tissue. The law was struck down in September 2018 by U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra.

Pojman said the rally’s importance also extends to the young adults and children who were in attendance.

“We have to keep people educated,” Pojman said. “I think we’re going to see that the average age of this rally is very young, a huge number of people who are under 18.”

Joe Pojman, executive director of anti-abortion nonprofit Texas Alliance for Life, said their movement has resurged despite landmark rulings. “We had a big setback handed to us by the Supreme Court,” Pojman said. “Those setbacks always have made our movement grow, and that’s what I’m expecting in 2017.”