Thousands of people from across Texas marched through the streets of downtown Austin Saturday as part of the Texas Rally for Life, a pro-life event held at the state Capitol. The march was followed by an hour-long speaker lineup that included state legislators, religious leaders and an audio message from United States Sen. John Cornyn.

The rally welcomed around 3,800 people, according to a Department of Public Safety estimate. Organizers said the event intended to celebrate pro-life gains made since the overturning of Roe v. Wade while commemorating the initial Supreme Court decision’s impact on the nation.

Organizers also hosted a diaper drive where they collected around 40,000 diapers and over 13,000 wipes, breaking their previous record.

The rally was organized in part by Texas Alliance for Life, a pro-life nonprofit and lobbying organization. Amy O’Donnell, communications director for the alliance, said Austin is an intentional choice in location for the rally, which has been held for over 30 years.

“We organize this event at the capitol because it’s our way of showing the media and our elected officials that Texas is pro-life,” O’Donnell said. “We know that this is where the legislation happens that protects life in our state.”

Abortion was outlawed in Texas following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, except in specific circumstances where the life of the mother is at risk. Private citizens are permitted to sue those that help someone receive an abortion, and the mailing of certain major abortion medications has also been outlawed in Texas.

Calls have been made in recent months by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a WFAA interview and by Texas abortion advocates like Amanda Zurawski, among others, for the legislature to clarify Texas’ abortion laws. This comes after doctors reported confusion about when they were permitted to provide medical care under the law.

O’Donnell said that the alliance believes the law is clear, but that further clarification may be pursued by lawmakers. She said the alliance’s main goal in the legislature is to prevent the erosion of laws already in place.

“We really want to hold our gains,” O’Donnell said. “We want to make sure that no weakening exceptions pass for rape or incest or for babies facing life-limiting or fatal diagnoses. We believe that all life is valuable and worthy of protection, even those conceived in rape. When that happens, there are two victims — the mother and the unborn child.”

Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Lakeway) spoke at the event alongside pro-life advocates, and religious leaders led attendees in prayer before and after the speakers addressed the crowd. Many of those present donned religious attire or held rosaries.

Addresses by Cornyn and Sylvia B. Johnson, an advocate with the Houston Pregnancy Help Center, focused largely on the detriment of abortions and on the importance of creating a society that supports mothers and families after birth. Beyond calls for support, there were also a number of personal stories shared with the crowd. 

Deirdre Cooper, a public policy analyst for the alliance, spoke about her eighth son Boscoe, who died four months after birth from Trisomy 18, an often fatal chromosomal abnormality. Cooper spoke about the positive impact Boscoe had on her life while he was alive, and recounted the moment before his birth when she first received his diagnoses, and her doctor asked if she would like time to “think about what to do.” 

“Can you imagine being told your unborn child is sick, and then being asked by the person who is supposed to treat them if you’d like to kill them instead?” Cooper said. “That’s what abortions have done to women’s healthcare.”

Other testimonies highlighted stories of those who relied on their faith, while some speakers like Joe Pojman, the alliance’s executive director, emphasized Texas’ progress in limiting abortion procedures.

At the expo that followed the speakers’ addresses, organizations like Christians Engaged, a nonprofit civic engagement ministry based in Dallas, advertised their programs and classes. 

Abby Sexton, young adult director for Christians Engaged, said this was her first time at the rally. She said she was motivated to attend because of her organization’s emphasis on pro-life teachings and biblical interpretations of government and economics.

“I’ve always been passionate about joining those things with politics and Jesus at the same time,” Sexton said. “They can go together. A lot of people think that they can’t, but our biblical worldview should absolutely impact the decisions we make in government and politics.”