RICHMOND, Va. — Hundreds gathered by the Bell Tower on Capitol Square in Richmond Wednesday morning for the 2026 Virginia March for Life.
Organizers say the eighth annual event is also the launch of a statewide campaign to defeat the "Right to Reproductive Freedom" amendment that voters will consider on the November ballot.
The amendment would enshrine in the Virginia Constitution a fundamental right to abortion, contraception and other reproductive healthcare free from state interference. It would prohibit a ban on third-trimester abortions if the mother's health or life was at stake.
Virginians will head to polls to decide on the Right to Reproductive Freedom amendment on November 3.
Rallygoers said they would continue to fight because they said every child in the womb is not a mistake but a miracle.
"We're here today, we're not intimidated, we are not backing down, we are not outnumbered because heaven is on the side of life. And today is more than a march. This is a movement, this is a declaration, this is a line in the sand. We will stand for the unborn. We will support mothers and families," said JR Gurley, president of the Frederick Douglass Foundation of Virginia.
Jamie Lockhart, Executive Director at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, responded to today's rally with a statement.
"Virginians have made clear, time and again, that we support reproductive freedom. This November, we will have another opportunity to make our voices heard and vote yes to enshrine this freedom in our constitution. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect and advance our fundamental rights, even in the face of the Trump administration's calculated, cruel attacks on Planned Parenthood and reproductive health care," Lockhart stated.
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