WALK FOR LIFE 2006

Overview

By all accounts the 2 nd Annual Walk for Life West Coast was another huge success!

An estimated 15,000 participants turned out doubling last year’s inaugural event. Despite the “West Coast” moniker, folks came from as far as Alaska and Florida and from many states in between. Enthusiastic pro-lifers once again converged in San Francisco to publicly proclaim that abortion hurts women and that women—and all of us—deserve better than abortion!

Despite a misty morning, the weather cooperated by the time our Rally commenced. After an opening prayer by Bishop Wester, Fr. Fessio presented this year’s Gianna Molla Award for Pro-life Heroism to Jim Holman for all of his remarkable work, especially the Parent’s Right to Know initiative. After very moving and inspiring remarks by our guest speakers (which you can hear by clicking this link), the Walk began without incidence.

As expected however, the opposition was out in force again. Less than 500 folks, some dressed in bizarre costumes, lined the sidewalks. There was no counter-rally this year, thankfully preventing a repeat of our Mayor and the rest of City Hall officially working the pro-aborts into a frenzy. That is not to say that protesters present were any less vitriolic and offensive in their manner and message. This year there was a large group of “anarchist” who were dressed in black and had bandana’s covering their faces. Other than a myriad of unmentionable signs and slogans, by and large, the pro-aborts still cling to the coat hanger theme and insist that women will die if (when!) Roe is overturned.

It could have been a lot worse though. For weeks, the counter protesters had been meeting and posting on their website a battle call for “individual acts of civil disobedience” with the stated goal of completely shutting down our Walk (glad to know free speech, tolerance and diversity of opinion are alive and well in San Francisco!)

But a rousing three cheers goes out to San Francisco’s finest, our men in blue! With approximately 300 policemen on foot, motorcycle, paddy wagon, and even a helicopter, they were ready for anything. The verbal assaults were again constant, but with an on-foot and on-motorcycle buffer zone between us and them, we definitely felt protected. The police easily handled several attempt to impede the walk and even foiled a plot to bombard us with dozens of “balloon bombs” filled with a ketchup-water mixture.

Our parade mass stretched more than a mile long and the last pro-lifers descended into beautiful Marina Greens three hours later. The Info Faire was well attended and many families enjoyed picnics on the green belt. With the sun shining and a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, Bishop Wang officially closed the Walk with a prayer. To cap off the day, it was quite moving to see all of us spontaneously give a lengthy standing ovation to the police officers as they walked off the Marina Green. It truly was a great day for the pro-life movement.

Mark you calendars now—we will see you next January 20th, 2007 at the 3rd Annual Walk for Life West Coast!!