LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansans gathered together Sunday afternoon at the State Capitol for the 42nd Annual March for Life.
The steps were covered from top to bottom and the crowd stretched all the way to the streets with people young and old standing up for their beliefs in respecting human life.
Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin said they were giving a voice to the voiceless.
"The unborn can't speak for themselves and so we are here to reaffirm that," he said.
Griffin said they all were there with one main purpose in mind.
"This is a day to celebrate life," he said.
The annual March for Life marks the 47th anniversary of the January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States.
"The reasons why we hold these rallies is a reminder that the fight is never over," said Ryan Bomberger, keynote speaker of the event.
It's a fight that Bomberger said resonates deep because his biological mother was raped, but still gave him the chance to live.
"I was adopted into a multi-racial family of 15, I'm also an adopted father of four kiddos, two of whom are adopted," he said.
Bomberger said this is why once a year holding signs up that say "choose life" and "stop abortion now" can make a difference to the unborn.
"The fight to defend human dignity is a continual fight and so these rallies serve to encourage," he said.
Several pro-life state political leaders, like Governor Asa Hutchinson, Senator Tom Cotton and Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin to name a few, were faces in the crowd.
All of them sent similar messages of how proud they are that Arkansas is one of the top two pro-life states in the nation.
"What does that mean? It has nothing to do with politics, it has to do with believing in the sanctity of life, believing that we are all created in the image of God and we want to protect life," Griffin said.
Several pro-life bills have been passed in Arkansas over the years, including the Safe Haven Law which was expanded this year.
From the youngest in the crowds to the elected officials on stage, Bomberger said everyone at the march is hoping to see people value life.
"Whether it's planned or unplanned, whether it's abled or differently-abled. Every single human life has purpose," he said.
THV11 also spoke with Camille Richoux, a board member of the Arkansas Coalition for Reproductive Justice, and she said they, "fundamentally believe that criminalizing abortion is inhumane, unethical and a violation of human rights."
They will host their 10th annual rally next Saturday, Jan. 25, at 1 p.m. at the State Capitol.