Anti-abortion activists in Arizona headed to Washington D.C. for March For Life

Anti-abortion activists from Arizona are headed out to Washington D.C. to represent the state in the 47th annual national March for Life.

The march began in 1974 and promotes anti-abortion education across the nation.

Arizona Life Coalition led the state march, called the Arizona for Life March and Rally, on Jan. 18 in downtown Phoenix. Thousands attended, and executive director Garrett Riley said the march was a success with more people attending than the last event in 2018.

Riley, along with other board members from Arizona Life Coalition, will go to the march Friday to represent the state and show the nation that Arizona is a "pro-life, pro-love state," Riley said.

The march "is mostly about motivating and unifying all the people and all the organizations across the state who are engaged in pro-life," Riley said.

He said there are about 20 Arizonans attending, and various schools in the state are sending groups of people to the event.

"We want to continue to build on Arizona being one of the most respected pro-life states in our country," Riley said.

Gov. Doug Ducey has long sidestepped questions regarding whether he would support a full reversal of Roe v. Wade, but he has overwhelmingly supported state-level abortion restrictions since taking office in 2015, leading anti-abortion advocacy group Americans United for Life named Arizona the most pro-life state in the country in 2018.

Breaking News Reporter, Alyssa Stoney, can be reached at alyssa.stoney@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter @stoney_alyssa.