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Washington (dpa) - Anti-abortion protesters took their cause to the US capital Monday and got an enthusiastic message of support from President George W. Bush, who praised their "noble cause."
Thousands of activists, some carrying placards saying "I Regret my Abortion," marched through Washington to the US Capitol and the Supreme Court to press the high court to overturn a 33-year-old ruling that legalised abortion.
Abortion rights supporters held up signs saying "Keep Abortion Legal" and mingled with the anti-abortion crowd in front of the Supreme Court. Police said there was no trouble between the protesters.
Bush, in a message piped in to the annual March for Life rally by telephone, stopped short of backing a reversal of the 1973 decision, but insisted "there's more work done" in protecting "unborn life" in the US.
"You believe, as I do, that every human life has value (and) that the strong have a duty to protect the weak," said Bush, speaking from a speech-making trip to Kansas.
"These principles call us to defend the sick and the dying, persons with disabilities and birth defects, all who are weak and vulnerable, especially unborn children," he said.
The US debate over abortion has recently heated up over Bush's Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, a conservative judge who has refused to describe the 1973 abortion ruling as "settled law."
March for Life organisers said they wanted the Supreme Court to "know that Americans demand an end to the intentional killing of pre- born humans."
Abortion rights supporters held a candlelight vigil outside the high court Sunday night to mark the ruling's 33rd anniversary and voice their opposition to Alito.
Alito is expected to clear his first legal hurdle in the Republican-dominated Senate on Tuesday when the Senate Judiciary Committee votes on his nomination.
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
