About 200 Attend Right to Life March and Rally in Coeur d'Alene

Roughly 200 people participated in Right to Life of Coeur d’Alene’s annual march and rally, drawing families, longtime parishioners and educators to a 25-degree morning of prayer, speeches and a short walk along U.S. 95.

The event began at the Skate Plaza and the Candlelight Christian Fellowship parking lot, where organizers and speakers addressed the crowd before the group moved onto the paved path that follows U.S. 95 toward Kathleen Avenue. Photographs from the scene show participants crossing U.S. 95 at Dalton Avenue and gathering at the corner of Dalton and U.S. 95; others were reported waiting to cross at U.S. 95 and Hanley Avenue before the march proceeded.

Religious themes framed much of the program. Deacon Andy Finney of St. Thomas Catholic Church delivered a brief speech before the march and said he wanted to focus on end-of-life issues as well as beginning-of-life concerns. “It is our duty to protect the sanctity of life,” Finney said. Local participants described personal and faith-based motivations for taking part. Bob Moate said he came to honor God, adding, “The Lord has blessed this nation, blessed this people. He does not agree with us aborting children.” Lifelong Catholics and longtime educators Janet Ackerman and Debbie Colwell emphasized a spiritual view of life; Ackerman said, “It is the greatest gift, just like Jesus,” and that “Every child is precious.” Colwell summed up the belief driving attendance: “It’s what we believe.”

Parents and children made up a visible portion of the crowd. Kurt Schwab pushed his son and daughter in a stroller while carrying a sign quoting the late President Ronald Reagan: “I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” Schwab said, “Children are the most incredible blessing on Earth,” adding, “There you go.” Other signs read, “Choose Life,” “It’s a child, not a choice” and “Vote Pro-Life,” indicating an explicit political message alongside the religious and family-centered themes.

The march remained peaceful as it moved along local arteries. Some drivers honked while passing; marchers waved back. Photographs from the event were credited to Bill Buley.

The local rally took place alongside a larger national moment: thousands traveled to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life, where a pre-recorded message praised the pro-life movement and referenced judicial appointments as a turning point. That national demonstration underscored broader mobilization even as Coeur d’Alene participants focused on faith, family and local visibility.

For Kootenai County residents, the event signals ongoing civic engagement by faith-based groups and demonstrates how local street-level activism can combine moral appeals and electoral messaging. Expect similar public gatherings and neighborhood conversations as organizers and community members continue to press their views in public forums.