While mainstream media portrayed the 2019 March for Life as being attended by “thousands” and “tens of thousands”, a time-lapse video of the Jan. 18 event from beginning to end paints a rather different picture which suggests a much higher number, Life Site reports.
Getting an accurate count of so large a crowd would be an almost insurmountable task, but Students for Life of America has put together a 60-second time-lapse video of the March from beginning to end that suggests hundreds of thousands attended the event.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon led the Orthodox Christian hierarchs, clergy, seminarians and faithful at the March.
Other members of the OCA Holy Synod of Bishops and Chancery staffers who participated included Archbishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh, Archbishop Michael of New York, Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, Chancellor; Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, Secretary; Melanie Ringa, Treasurer; and Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak.
Also present were Archpriest John Parker, Dean of Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA and Archpriest Chad Hatfield, President of Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Yonkers, NY, led many students from their respective schools.
Among others present were Bishop Thomas of the Diocese of Oakland, Charleston and the Mid-Atlantic of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and His Eminence, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, the Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church.
Vice President Mike Pence (R) and his wife, Karen, made a surprise visit to join the pro-life marchers, Alabama Political Reporter noted.
“We gather here because we believe as our founders did that we are, all of us, born and unborn, endowed by our creator, with certain unalienable rights and first among these rights is the right to life,” Vice President Pence said.
President Donald J. Trump (R) addressed the group by video address.
“This is a movement founded on love and grounded in the nobility and dignity of every human life,” Pres. Trump said. “As president, I will always defend the first right in our Declaration of Independence, the right to life”.
The first march took place on the west steps of the Capitol in January 1974, the year after the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, which affirmed the constitutional right to access safe, legal abortion.
Photography courtesy of USA Today
