Hundreds of thousands of abortion rights activists from across the United States and several other nations are taking part in the March for Women's Lives in Washington today (Sunday).
Organizer Alice Cohan told the crowd on Washington's Mall that there are close to a million people in attendance at the celebrity studded event.
The advocates marched to the Mall for an afternoon of speeches in support of legalized abortion and the right to make abortion services available in overseas clinics supported by U.S. funding.
Hundreds of anti-abortion advocates lined the route of the march and held a counter-demonstration. No violence was reported.
The day began with U.S. Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton urging women at a pre-rally breakfast to act in concert to block Bush administration policies she said are harmful to women.
More than 12,00 civic groups were scheduled to take part in today's women's march. They include the National Organization for Women, NARAL Pro Choice America, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Planned Parenthood.
Information for this report is provided by Reuters.