Washington: Former U.S. President Donald Trump signed pardons on Thursday for 23 anti-abortion protesters, the White House announced. The group included individuals convicted of blockading the entrance to a reproductive health clinic in Washington, D.C., during a 2020 protest.
The pardoned individuals had been charged with conspiring to disrupt operations at the clinic by forming a blockade to intimidate patients and staff. Among them was Lauren Handy, whose indictment led to the discovery of five fetuses in her residence, according to law enforcement officials.
“They should not have been prosecuted,” Trump remarked while signing the pardons. He pointed to the age of some individuals involved as a factor in his decision, stating, “This is a great honor to sign this. They’ll be very happy.”
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The pardons were issued just one day before the annual “March for Life” rally, where anti-abortion activists gather in Washington to advocate for their cause.
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The move has reignited discussions about abortion rights, a contentious issue in U.S. politics. The topic has taken center stage in the 2024 presidential campaign, following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The ruling ended nearly five decades of federal protections for abortion rights, leaving the matter to be decided by individual states.
