Iowa activists from both sides of the abortion debate are taking part in rallies today, marking the 31st anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Nearly 200 members of the group Iowans for Life took a 24-hour bus ride to Washington D.C. for a massive march, which is expected to draw 300-thousand people. Ann McAlister is president of Iowans for Life and explains why she was motivated to make the long journey. She says “We cannot let this day go by without memorializing these 40-some-million lives that have been taken in the last 31 years.” The buses picked up supporters from several Iowa cities, including: Carroll, Altoona, Iowa City, Dyersville and Dubuque. McAlister, who’s from Bayard, says the march and rally are an inspiration.The D.C. rally is to begin at the Washington Monument at 11 central time, with the march to the Supreme Court beginning at noon. Meanwhile, the Iowa capitol rotunda is the setting for a rally by pro-choice activists at 3:30 this afternoon. Kathi Di Nicola is spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, one of the groups taking part in the rally. She says its main goal is to raise awareness about another march on Washington D.C. in a few months.The March for Women’s Lives is slated for April 25th by several pro-choice groups. Di Nicola explains why they’ll be marching on the nation’s capitol. She says the country and the politicians need to be shown “We are committed to choice. We are committed to women’s reproductive rights and that restriction of women’s access to reproductive health services will not be tolerated.” For more information on the March for Women’s Lives, surf to: “www.marchforwomen.org”.
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