The annual March for Life has been canceled in person this year, and the march’s president says this is only partly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The protection of all of those who participate in the annual March, as well as the many law enforcement personnel and others who work tirelessly each year to ensure a safe and peaceful event, is a top priority of the March for Life,” March for Life President Jeanne Mancini announced Friday.

“In light of the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic which may be peaking, and in view of the heightened pressures that law enforcement officers and others are currently facing in and around the Capitol, this year’s March for Life will look different,” she continued.

The March for Life, a pro-life demonstration following the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, has taken place every year in the nation’s capital since 1974. Thousands of pro-life activists, students and families come to Washington, D.C., to demonstrate against abortion and attend the march’s rallies.

Meet the teens who participated in the 2020 March for Life:   

Mancini said that the march’s annual rally will take place virtually and asked all participants to stay home and “join the March virtually.”

“We will invite a small group of pro-life leaders from across the country to march in Washington, D.C. this year,” she said. “These leaders will represent pro-life Americans everywhere who, each in their own unique ways, work to make abortion unthinkable and build a culture where every human life is valued and protected.”

Mancini expressed gratitude to the “countless women, men, and families” who annually attend the march.

“As for this year’s march, we look forward to being with you virtually,” she said.

President Donald Trump became the first president to attend the 2020 47th annual March for Life.

“It is my profound honor to be the first president in history to attend the March for Life!” Trump told the crowd. “We’re here for a very simple reason — to defend the right of every child, born and unborn, to fulfill their God-given potential.”

“Every life brings love into this world,” Trump added. “Every person is worth protecting.”

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