Last week, I attended the Women’s March and the March for Life.

This was my second year in a row observing the two movements up close and editing stories about their similarities and differences. As both movements grow and advance, it’s important to note their cultural and political impact. They are both similar and different in various ways. Both are a gathering of politically passionate men and women from around the country. Both are attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Both have passionate, famous speakers. However, they begin to diverge there.

The March for Life is in its 45th year and has a very specific goal: The overturning of Roe v. Wade. Above all else, the march believes abortion is wrong and should be done away with.

The main uniting force for the two-year-old Women’s March seems to be hatred of President Donald Trump. From there, the values and priorities of the pro-choice, feminist Women’s March are much more diverse. Their own mission statement is quite lengthy, over a thousand words long, and covers everything from “Environmental Justice” to “LGBTQIA Rights.”

Having attended both the marches two years running, here are the observable differences between the two:

The signs at the Women’s March:

The signs at the March For Life:

The speakers at the Women’s March:

The speakers at the March for Life:

Young adults at the Women’s March:

Young adults at the March for Life:

Children at the Women’s March:

Children at the March for Life:

Men at the Women’s March:

Men at the March for Life:

The purpose of the Women’s March:

The purpose of the March for Life: