On Saturday July 9, Illinois Right to Life joined the March for Life Chicago to host the Dobbs Rally and March celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. It was warm and sunny in downtown Chicago as we gathered to hear from leaders of the pro-life movement in Illinois. Participants traveled from all over Illinois to join in on the victory march, including many families and young people.
Reverend Cory Estby opened up the event by offering a powerful prayer expressing our gratitude for this answered prayer. We then heard from Kevin Grillot and Anna Kinskey of weDignify, who each shared their thoughts on what the Court’s decision would mean for women in the Midwest. Pastor Chris Butler called on our government to do more to support pro-women and pro-family policies. Our own executive director, Amy Gehrke, gave an energetic speech, and led the crowd in chanting, “Women deserve better than abortion!” We also heard from Jennifer, a post-abortive witness with Silent No More, and a young mother who was able to choose life for her unborn child thanks to the support of Southside Women’s Services.
While the participants of the Dobbs rally joyfully celebrated this victory for human rights, angry protestors gathered across the street and attempted to disrupt the speakers. As Jennifer shared her experience of falling victim to abortion and later regretting her decision, pro-abortion protestors on motorcycles attempted to drown her out by revving their engines. The protestors even followed alongside us as we marched, shouting obscenities.
Those marching for life carried on, unfazed. We carried on because we all knew, as Amy Gehrke said in her speech, that the truth will always win. The truth is that abortion is the murder of an innocent baby, and it must be abolished. Each person at the Dobbs rally attested to this truth in a unique way.
We marched in victory in the place of the millions whose lives were taken from them during the past 50 years. We marched for the millions of babies who never got the chance to see the light of day, but also for the thousands who will be saved as a result of the Court’s decision. While this was very much a victory march, it was also a clear statement that the pro-life movement isn’t going anywhere, because our work in Illinois is just beginning.
At the Dobbs rally, we saw clearly the hatred and emotion of the opposition we face, but we also saw the passion, strength, and joy of the pro-life movement. If Roe v. Wade can be overturned, then it is certainly possible for abortion to be abolished in the state of Illinois. The fight for life in Illinois may be a long and difficult one, but we are up for the challenge!