March 23, 2025
ATLANTA – Several hundred pro-life advocates gathered on a blustery March day at Liberty Plaza in front of the Georgia State Capitol for a rally on Thursday, March 6, before marching around the building in the 2025 Georgia March for Life.
Marchers heard from a variety of speakers, including former pro football player Benjamin Watson, Gov. Brian Kemp, and W. Thomas Hammond, Jr., executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer opened the rally in prayer, calling on the Lord to “fill our hearts with courage, compassion, and unwavering faith as we witness to the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp took time from his Thursday schedule, which included signing the state’s mid-year budget, to address the pre-march rally. Kemp thanked those at the rally for their “constant dedication to an issue that is so important to us all.”
In 2019, Kemp signed the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, which was initially ruled unconstitutional but took effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
Kemp mentioned his three daughters: "As a father, I knew even before they were born that their lives were precious, just as God values the lives of all those He creates. This is why we fight… When the fight seems difficult, remember all that we have accomplished.”
Benjamin Watson, a former University of Georgia and NFL tight end who is currently vice president of Strategic Relationships for The Human Coalition, affirmed the ongoing efforts of pro-life advocates. “While too many Americans have decided to move their energy and their resources to other issues, I stand with and applaud all of you who have been steady stalwarts for life in your various spheres of influence.”
The father of seven also talked about his family, recalling seeing his oldest daughter, Grace, yawn during an ultrasound. “I caught the yawn,” he told the crowd, “I yawned from seeing my daughter yawn in utero. How crazy is that?”
Watson said, “We march because we believe that from conception to the grave, we all bear the image of our creator. We believe that image is stamped on us with dignity and value, regardless of our performance, our stage of development, or our social status. “
Hammond told listeners that their willingness to stand for the unborn would serve as an example to others. “The evangelist Billy Graham said that when a person of faith stands up, they stiffen the spines of everyone around them,” Hammond said. “My prayer for you today is that your courage and unwavering faith today will impact those who see what you’re standing for, because all of us are here to stand for life. “
He then closed the rally in prayer, recognizing God as the creator and giver of life. “You, O Lord, are the author of life and we recognize that every human life is precious in your sight,” Hammond prayed.
