Trump pardons 23 anti-abortion activists ahead of March for Life

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - US President Donald Trump has pardoned 23 anti-abortion activists convicted of illegally blocking access to abortion clinics ahead of the annual March for Life in in Washington, DC.

Describing the pardons as a "great honor," Trump on Thursday characterized the individuals, whose identities were not given, as "peaceful pro-life protesters" who should not have been prosecuted.

Many of the individuals involved were charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE), which aims to protect access to reproductive health clinics.

The annual March for Life, taking place on Friday, is the third such demonstration since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, overturning the constitutional right to an abortion.

Trump is expected to address the event virtually while traveling, while Vice President JD Vance will speak in person.

The pardons were framed as a response to what Trump and his supporters describe as "unjust" prosecutions by the Biden administration.

Trump has signed dozens of executive actions since his inauguration Monday, including one pardoning over 1,500 people involved in the January 2021 attack on the Capitol. Among that group were people convicted of attacking police officers defending Congress, which was meeting that day to certify the presidential election.