Trump Pardons Activists Ahead of March for Life Rally
Trump has pardoned several anti-abortion activists ahead of the March for Life rally, leading to mixed reactions from supporters and abortion rights advocates as tensions on the issue persist.
The orders came a day before anti-abortion protesters were due to gather in Washington DC for the annual March for Life, which the president is scheduled to address via videolink.
In 2020, Trump became the first sitting president to attend the rally in person, although George W Bush and Ronald Reagan have previously addressed it remotely.
This time, Vice President J D Vance will be attending in person.
The rally has been held annually in the US capital since 1974, following the legalisation of abortion by the Supreme Court in Roe v Wade.
Abortion rights have been a pivotal issue in recent presidential races, and the court overturned this ruling in 2022.
Upon signing the pardons, Trump remarked about the activists: "They should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people... This is a great honour to sign this. They'll be very happy."
Reports from US media indicate that one of those pardoned is Lauren Handy, leader of the group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU).
This group was convicted in 2020 for conspiring to storm a Washington reproductive health clinic and block access in an effort to intimidate patients and staff. Members forcibly entered the Surgi-Clinic, injuring a nurse, and remained inside for several hours.
Handy was found guilty in August 2023 and sentenced in May 2024.
Her supporters have celebrated the pardons, asserting that the convictions were politically motivated.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America, stated that the protesters were targeted by Joe Biden's Department of Justice and expressed gratitude to Trump for "immediately delivering on his promise" to pardon them.
Conversely, abortion rights activists believe the pardons reinforce their view that Trump is anti-abortion, despite his claim during his presidential campaign that individual states should determine the legality of the practice.
Ryan Stitzlein from the national abortion rights organisation Reproductive Freedom for All told the AP news agency: "Donald Trump on the campaign trail tried to have it both ways - bragging about his role in overturning Roe v Wade while saying he wasn't going to take action on abortion."
"We never believed that that was true, and this shows us that we were right."
