At the annual March for Life, this past Sunday, Jan. 15, there was no physical violence, but it was a scene of high tension, opposition, and shouting.

Thousands from across the Midwest gathered in Federal Plaza in Chicago’s Loop to loudly proclaim that the sanctity of the life of the fetus overrides the mother’s right to choose to terminate a pregnancy. The demonstrators carried signs with babies eyes and holding yellow balloons inscribed with the word “Life.”

One student at the march, Mary Helen Joseph, said, “Going to the march was really special for me because many people believe that all pro-lifers come from the same background politically, religiously, and even culturally. This experience allowed me to see people of all different backgrounds and ages rallying around the belief that life is to be respected even in its smallest forms.”

A smaller crowd of approximately one hundred people gathered on the other side of the street to proclaim, less loudly, that a fetus is not a life and that a woman has the right to control her own body. Many women came dressed in costumes from the Handmaid’s Tale dramatically drawing a parallel between limiting a woman’s right to abortion and the nightmare portrayed in the dystopian novel where women had no rights.

A student who attended the counter-protest, Maron Aymbe, said, “The counter-protest to the March for Life was crucial because we need to bring awareness of why women should have the right to do what they want to their bodies. The purpose of the protest was to highlight that women need access to planned parenthood and other reproductive health care facilities without feeling ashamed or discouraged. ”

Gallery • 21 Photos

March for Life commonly uses yellow balloons in their marches and lets them float away after march.