Abortion Anniversary Noted In D.C.

(CBS/AP)  Nearly two-dozen Catholic bishops and a crowd of thousands, mostly teenagers, united Thursday for the annual rally and march protesting the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.

"The theme of this day is human life and human dignity," Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia told the crowd of more than 15,000 at the MCI Center.

Outside, more demonstrators — both opponents and supporters of legalized abortion — gathered along the National Mall to mark the 31st anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision.

Tens of thousands descended upon Washington for what the Right To Life Committee called "this shameful anniversary" to rally on the Ellipse and then march on the Supreme Court, reports CBS News Correspondent Lou Miliano. Blue and white posters and yellow balloons flooded the streets, and loud cheers challenged the biting January cold.

On the other side of this issue, liberals in the House and the Senate were introducing a bill designed-to protect what the Supreme Court decided 31 years ago, reports CBS News Correspondent Dan Raviv. It's called the "Freedom Of Choice Act."

"There is immense support for this among the grassroots across the country," said Gloria Feldt, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation. The bill is designed to defend "the human and civil rights of women to be able to make their own child-bearing decisions."

She admits the bill has little chance of passage.

President Bush called in a brief statement to the anti-abortion rally, telling anti-abortion marchers they were gathered for "a noble cause."

"The right to life does not come from government, it comes from the Creator of life," the president said by telephone from Roswell, N.M., where he was wrapping up a two-day trip.

Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said abortion rights were at risk because of Bush's decisions, "from stacking the federal judiciary with anti-choice proponents, to executive orders, to regulations, to restrictive legislation and key political appointments."

Before the march, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, of Brooklyn, N.Y., noted that Protestants, Muslims, Jews and others would be there.

"Even people that are not religious understand that we have to protect life," DiMarzio said.