An estimated 3,000 people gathered in Sacramento, California, to participate in the April 22 March for Life.
Senior pastor of the Church of the King, Paul Liberati, told The Epoch Times, “We’re just out here to give our support and take a stand for life,” adding, “What we’re saying today is not novel, it’s not new, it’s not beyond anyone’s understanding. “Life begins at conception, and every human being knows that, and at this point the battle that needs to be fought is simply reaffirming those basic foundational truths, and that’s what we’re here to do.”
Another march attendee, Kenneth Williams, told the outlet, “There’s a really big pro-life movement here in California.”
“And just because the state is overtly blue doesn’t mean that we aren’t here,” he continued. “There are a lot of American patriots here.”
The March for Life event follows California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) releasing an ad showing young women attempting to leave Alabama for an abortion.
The state is also working on a bill that would allow Arizona abortion providers to come to California.
Speaking to former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Newsom said, “I think we need to start focusing on making the kind of progress that’s needed.”
“Right now, a big part of my focus and why I’m so focused on Arizona and providing doctors from Arizona the ability to come into California through emergency legislation we’ll introduce with our women’s caucus this week is to address the crisis at hand with that law that will go into effect on May 1 to provide access to women and girls that are fleeing the state of Arizona and to focus on Arizona electorally, to focus on Nevada electorally, that will play potentially an outsize role in this election and what the needs, the aspirations, and desires of the people that live there are,” Newsom explained.
“I think, those needs and aspirations and desires are a little bit bigger than reinforcing a previous point of view as it relates to the character, or lack thereof, of the former President of the United States, Donald Trump.”
The Arizona Supreme Court recently upheld a 160-year-old abortion ban, reversing an appeals court ruling.
Under the 1864 law, anyone aiding in an abortion will receive a minimum 2-year prison sentence.
The law reads, “A person who provides, supplies or administers to a pregnant woman, or procures such woman to take any medicine, drugs or substance, or uses or employs any instrument or other means whatever, with intent thereby to procure the miscarriage of such woman, unless it is necessary to save her life, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than two years nor more than five years.”