Thousands attend Ohio's first 'March for Life'

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Thousands of pro-life supporters gathered in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday to show their support for a ban on abortion beginning at conception. Attendees rallied at the Ohio Statehouse before marching through the streets.

The march, the first of its kind in Ohio, was organized by the same group that leads the Washington, D.C., march every January.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a law in April 2019 banning abortions after a detectable heartbeat, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. That law took effect in June of this year, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.

But an Ohio judge temporarily blocked that ban in September. That means abortion is legal in Ohio up until 20 weeks into pregnancy. Hamilton County Judge Christian Jenkins was scheduled to hear arguments Friday on whether to extend that block on a more permanent basis

At the march Thursday, speakers urged legislators to enact a ban on abortion beginning at conception when they return to Columbus after the November elections.

“We need to ensure Ohio prohibits abortion at the very point of conception,” said Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue. “If we really want to see an end to abortion, to see women protected and unborn children saved, we can’t stop now.”

State Rep. Jena Powell, told the crowd, "Life does not just begin at the time the heartbeat is detected. Life begins at conception. The shackles are no longer holding us back as state legislators, and we can and we must be a voice for unborn children here in the state of Ohio."

Another highlighted speaker was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece, Dr. Alveda King, who called abortion a civil rights issue. “If we don’t know our past and our history, we will repeat it," she said.