Roe vs. Wade anniversary observed, remembered in Bloomington

"Abortion Kills Children," "Adoption: The Loving Option" and "Stop Abortion Now" signs floated around Bloomington Square Sunday in the hands of nearly 100 marchers. \nPro-life supporters have gathered there every year since 1987 on the Sunday closest to Jan. 22 to protest the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to legalize abortion.\nPro-choice advocates are also commemorating the 28th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade with Hug-a-Clinic at 1 p.m. today at Planned Parenthood. Advocates of women's rights to choose abortion will stand in a ring around Planned Parenthood, 421 S. College Ave., "as a show of support for reproductive health care," said a Planned Parenthood press release.\nPaul Konstanski, who represented the Monroe County Right to Life, coordinated the pro-life event Sunday and said the march had two main goals. The first, he said, is to remember the unborn children. The second is to let the community know that people are concerned and that they are taking action, he said. Pro-life supporters write letters, protest at Planned Parenthood and run programs to help pregnant women consider alternatives to abortion.\nKonstanski said nearly 40 million abortions have been performed since the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. \nPeople were asked to bring diapers to the march as a donation for women who didn't have abortions.\nThe Monroe County Right to Life and IU Students for Life sponsored the event. At least half of the crowd was male. \nAlthough there have been counter-protests in the past, there were none this year.\nThe march was not officially affiliated with any religion, but there was a clear religious tone to the speeches, particularly from the Crisis Pregnancy Center, 223 S. Pete Ellis Drive, a Christian nonprofit organization in Bloomington. Many protesters said they heard about the event in church and came with other members of their churches.\nJim Koryta, a physical plant employee, came from Stanford Baptist Church and said it's a chance to "show the community you're concerned." This is his second year participating. \nBarbara Judah of Sherwood Oaks Christian Church marched for her 10th year. \n"I'm just hopeful for the pro-life movement," she said. \nShe said she hopes that Congress will not pass the Partial Birth Abortion Bill, a bill allowing abortions in late-term pregnancies, or that President George W. Bush will stop it.\nAfter about 25 minutes of marching, the crowd observed a moment of silence -- not only for the unborn children, but also for the women and men who have suffered because of the decisions to have abortions. The crowd said "Amen" and the speeches began. \nThe speeches were brief and asked the crowd to support the cause by doing more than just marching once a year. Jeff Houston, of the Crisis Pregnancy Center, asked the crowd for money, time, energies and effort: "We need your support and prayers"