One million descend on nations capital

Over 1 million men, women and children participated in The National March For Women's Lives in Washington D.C. over the weekend. Addressing issues from abortion rights and contraception to sex education and worldwide reproductive concerns.

The march, which at final count was confirmed as the single largest protest march in U.S. history, was presented by a coalition of women's groups, including the National Organization for Women and Planned Parenthood.

The march included demonstrations and speeches on the National Mall, directly in front of the capital building and proceeded for several miles, past the White House and through downtown Washington.

Lining the protest route, several hundred pro-life activists and religious groups offered a differing perspective on the issues. Police detained more than 40 individuals throughout the day for protesting without a permit.

The march eventually returned to the starting point, where a number of celebrity speakers and national women's rights advocates took the stage.

Presenters included such names as actor Ashley Judd, Julianne Moore, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and media mogul Ted Turner.

Long-time pro-choice activist and comedienne Whoopi Goldberg took the stage brandishing a coat hanger, a symbolic gesture which represented the millions of back-alley, coat hanger abortion procedures which were before the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion procedures nationwide.

"Some people asked me why I came on stage carrying a coat hanger, and I'll tell you why; It's because we're never going back to the way it was. Never," said Goldberg.

Since September 11th, Washington D.C. has maintained a closed airspace over the city, so no news helicopters were allowed to film the march from the air.

Security around the march was tight, with municipalities in Virginia and Maryland contributing reinforcements for the Washington Metro Police Department. Dozens of riot police and officers on horseback lined the protest route, maintaining a separation between pro-life activists and marchers.

A number of streets, most notably Pennsylvania Avenue, were closed to traffic for the duration of the day's activities. A Secret Service helicopter circled the crowd all afternoon.

Vegan and women's rights activist Moby ended the afternoon with an acoustic rendition of the classic Buffalo Springfield protest song, For what its worth.

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com