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1000s 'Walk For Life' In San Francisco To Mark Roe Vs. Wade Anniversary

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— Tens of thousands of people gathered Saturday at San Francisco's City Hall for the 8th annual Walk for Life, one of the largest pro-life demonstrations on the West Coast.

The event normally takes a route from Justin Herman Plaza to Marina Green, but a scheduling conflict altered the walk to go from Civic Center to Justin Herman Plaza this year. The event draws people from all over the country.

KCBS' Mark Seelig Reports:

A competing rally of pro-choice demonstrators met on Market Street about a block away, but had a considerably less amount of people. State Senator Mark Leno was among them to talk about safe an affordable access to abortion.

Eva Muntean, co-chair of the event, said the Bay Area has one of the highest rates of abortion in the U.S.

"Abortion hurts women. We know personally of a lot of women who are hurting from their past abortions," she said.

Several stages were set up at the event where some women described what a mistake their abortion was.

Stephanie Tang with World Can't Wait, a group standing up for abortion and birth control, said the ultimate goal of Walk for Life is the "re-banning of abortion and the end of contraception".

"I think it's absolutely unconscionable and it would mean that we live in a society where women are not considered fully human," Tang said.

SFPD are stationed at the starting point, final destination and all along Market Street to keep things peaceful.

The walk coincides with 39th anniversary weekend of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal in the U.S.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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