Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears joined hundreds of pro-life advocates for a Capitol Square rally Wednesday opposing a proposed constitutional amendment that would protect abortion access in Virginia.

 The seventh annual Virginia March for Life began with a rally at the Bell Tower before an hour-long march through downtown Richmond.
 

Marchers poured out of buses and gathered in Capitol Square to pray, recite the Pledge of Allegiance and listen to a performance of the national anthem. Earle-Sears was the first to address the crowd.

“As Ronald Reagan said, ‘all those who are for abortion are already born.’ Think about that,” Earle-Sears said. “So we stand for life, and how can it ever be wrong to stand for life? How can it ever be wrong?”

 Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears speaks during the event.
 

The march was organized by the Family Foundation of Virginia and the National March for Life in opposition to HJ 1, a constitutional ballot measure which aims to enshrine abortion access in the state’s constitution. HJ 1 passed in the state legislature this year, but must also pass next year in order to appear on the ballot in 2025.

Tywana Hampton, who is involved with “Speak Up! Hanover,” said she has always been pro-life, and came to Richmond to oppose the amendment.

However, she also believes that allowing Virginians to vote on the amendment is important, she said.

“I think the people need to have a voice in it. It’s ultimately going to affect the population and everybody,” Hampton said.

Last year, Youngkin vetoed the Right to Contraception Act, which would have guaranteed Virginian’s right to access contraceptives. In January, Earle- Sears was the tie-breaking vote against SB 1105, which also intended to protect contraceptive access for women.

Amie Carter, a minister who came to the protest with the Family Foundation, said she doesn’t think contraception access goes against the views of the pro-life movement.

“When I think about pro-life, I think about a child that’s already been conceived, already in the womb. In terms of family planning, that’s a little bit separate to me than abortion,” Carter said.

Although she opposes guaranteed access to abortion, she recognizes that there are some instances where it is appropriate, she said.

“I will say, you know, in extreme cases of incest, rape or if the woman’s health is at risk … I feel like that’s the exception, not the rule,” Carter said.

Promotional materials from the Family Foundation supporting the march argued HJ 1’s  provisions for abortion access could undermine parental rights, though supporters of the measure dispute this interpretation.

“For instance, a 13-year-old girl, the way that the amendment is written, doesn’t require any sort of parental consent. So a teenager or someone who was even younger than 18, could go in and get an abortion without any adults,” Carter said.

Linda Abandeh, who considers herself pro-life, attended the protest to advocate for Palestinian lives. While using a megaphone in the park, she said another attendee who appeared to be a priest tried to take it from her, breaking it in the process, she said.

Abandeh said she didn’t feel the crowd of marchers was receptive to what she was advocating for, and many refused to stand on their beliefs.

“They don’t care. These people say they believe in God and unborn children being killed, but what about the children that are in Gaza right now dying?”

Capitol Police have not identified the individual accused of breaking the megaphone, but their investigation is ongoing. Capitol Police Maj. Chris Gleason said there were no other violent incidents reported.