‘They are a gift to us’: Abortion opponents gather at Capitol for Texas Rally for Life | Austin American Statesman

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By: Natalia E. Contreras, Madlin Mekelburg

“There’s no freedom more precious than life itself. I promised to protect the life of a child with a heartbeat, and we did,” Abbott told the crowd Saturday. “I am proud to join you in this fight to protect the sanctity of life in Texas.”

Demonstrators kicked off the rally at the intersection of East 13th and Brazos Streets and marched to the Capitol chanting, “We are pro-life!”

Speakers included the Rev. Joe Vasquez, Roman Catholic bishop of Austin; state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, and Joe Pojman, executive director of the Texas Alliance for Life.

Rally for Life advocates motivated on 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade | KXAN News

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By: Grace Reader, Kaitlyn Karmout

On the 49th anniversary of Roe V. Wade, abortion opponents are feeling a bit more motivated.

“It could potentially scale back Roe v. Wade or overturn it completely,” said Amy O’Donnell, of the Texas Alliance for Life. “If that happens, then we will see life protected in Texas beginning at conception.”

O’Donnell is talking about the Mississippi Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case making its way through the Supreme Court. The case would prohibit all abortions, with few exceptions, after 15-weeks.

For months now, however, the Texas Heartbeat Act has banned abortions when cardiac activity is detected.

Biggest abortion protest in US could be last one under Roe | Fox 8 News

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By: Paul Weber Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The largest anti-abortion rally in the U.S. returns Friday with thousands of expected protesters in Washington who feel within reach of their goal for the last 49 years: a sweeping rollback of abortion rights.

“My hopes have been dashed many times, but I have never felt like this,” said Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life.

The March for Life, for decades an annual protest against abortion, arrives this year as the Supreme Court has indicated it will allow states to impose tighter restrictions on abortion with a ruling in the coming months — and possibly overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that affirmed the constitutional right to an abortion.

The Texas Lege Always Debates Abortion. This Year It Will Do So With More Vigor. | Texas Monthly

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By: Andrew Zelinski

It certainly felt that way on Saturday, when hundreds of “right to life” proponents gathered outside the Capitol for a protest marking the forty-eighth anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Some joined a line of honking vehicles proceeding down Congress Avenue and held signs through open sunroofs, while others congregated on the sidewalk and chanted slogans including “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Roe v. Wade has got to go.” In the crowd, a pair of middle-school girls jointly yelled “Abortion is murder!” and waved signs at passing drivers, jumping around as if they were at a Justin Bieber concert.

Some ardent anti-abortion advocates, such as Joe Pojman, who helped organize the rally and leads the nonprofit Texas Alliance for Life, are not convinced that the U.S. Supreme Court has shifted enough ideologically to overturn Roe, but they’d still be happy if the high court unravels the precedent a little. “We don’t think it’s likely the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade in total anytime soon,” said Pojman. “We’re not sure that the court is ready.” He wants state lawmakers to prepare for the moment it is.