AUSTIN, TX— Hundreds of pro-life demonstrators gathered near the Texas State Capitol in near-freezing temperatures to march to end abortion in the state of Texas earlier this afternoon. While most in attendance proudly wore the “pro-life” label, a small group of counter-protestors self-described as “abortion abolitionists” voiced opposition to the pro-life movement. “Pro-life keeps abortion legal!” a woman chanted.
While pro-life advocates have largely dominated the anti-abortion movement, some on the right have been unsatisfied with its current direction, claiming that it has not gone far enough in opposing abortion and calling for a more hard-line approach. During the march, one abortion abolitionist yelled, “[Pro-lifers] never want to prosecute the women who murder their children…The main abortionists are the mothers taking the pills killing their children.”
In an interview with the Texas Horn, Danny Johnson, a member of the Central Texas Abolitionist Society, stated that his group is “for the complete abolition of abortion.” He also voiced opposition to calling women “victims of abortion,” since that would “rob them of repentance.”
“Abortion is a sin, and you need to lay that at the feet of Jesus. There’s forgiveness for abortion,” Mr. Johnson emphasized.
During the 89th Legislative Session, abortion abolitionists unsuccessfully attempted to criminalize abortion, including the “abortion pill.” House Bill 2197 would have removed a legal exception that currently shields women from prosecution by extending murder statutes to those who terminate their own pregnancies. However, most pro-life politicians and advocacy groups opposed the measure.
While abortion abolitionists criticize the pro-life movement for their incrementalist approach, the Texas Alliance for Life, one of the most influential anti-abortion advocacy groups in Texas, argues that abortion abolitionists threaten to fracture the anti-abortion coalition and jeopardize laws that have already reduced abortion in Texas.
In an article posted on the Texas Alliance for Life website in April 2025, Chris Maska, J.D. who serves as Texas Alliance for Life’s General Counsel, stated the following:
“If one wants to have the fewest numbers of abortions, one should target abortionists and those who traffic abortion pills, who can potentially kill thousands of unborn children, not the mothers who at most are responsible for a tiny fraction of the abortionists’ toll. To convict these kingpins, one will most likely need the mother’s testimony, and the best way to get the testimony is by giving mothers immunity. Mothers should be given blanket immunity because that best protects the unborn child.”
Following the march, Governor Greg Abbott gave a speech on the steps of the Texas State Capitol. “There is no freedom more precious than life itself, and yet millions of children lose their lives every year before they are even born, but not anymore in the great state of Texas,” he said.
Several student groups from the University of Texas echoed the same sentiment. Tiffany Lomax, the chapter president of Horns for Life, told the Texas Horn that “The Texas Rally for Life is important because it brings people together from all walks of life and communities across Texas in united support of a fundamental human right: the right to life. It also shows lawmakers and the public that students and communities genuinely care about human dignity and are willing to stand up for it.”
Additionally, the UT Austin chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas told the Texas Horn in a statement that “The March for Life is a beautiful event to stand up and protect the lives of unborn children. We cannot compromise on the lives of millions of children every year who are slaughtered en masse,” he said.
