Trump Pardoner anti-abort activists in front of rally

US President Donald Trump has pardoned 23 activists against abortion, including some convicted of blocking a reproductive health clinic and scary staff and patients.

The lardons were part of a round of executive orders signed by Trump on Thursday, one of several in the first week of his presidency.

Trump described the conviction as “ridiculous,” but campaigns in abortion rights said the move was evidence of his opposition to access to abortion.

The orders came a day before protesters against anti-abort were to come to Washington DC for the annual march for Life, which the president must address by video link.

By 2020, Trump became the first -sitting president to participate in person, although George W Bush and Ronald Reagan have also addressed it externally.

Vice President JD Vance Personally participates this time.

The rally has been held in the US capital every year since 1974, a year after abortion was legalized by the Supreme Court in ROE against Wade.

Abort rights have been a key issue in recent presidential races and the court overturned the decision in 2022.

Trump said Trump signed the pitchers, Trump said of the activists, “They shouldn’t have been prosecuted. Many of them are older … This is a great honor to sign this. They will be very happy.”

US media reports that one of the pardon is Lauren Handy, head of the Group Progressive Anti-aborting Uprising (PAAU).

The group was convicted of conspiracy in 2020 for storming a Washington reproductive health clinic and blocking access to scary patients and staff. Members forced their way into the Surgi clinic, injured a nurse and spent several hours inside.

Handy was found guilty in August 2023 and convicted in May 2024.

Her followers have paid tribute to her feet and said the beliefs were political.

President of Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America, Marjorie Formen Frees, said the protesters were targeted by Joe Biden’s Department of Justice, and she thanked Trump to immediately “deliver her promise” to pardon them.

But activists for abortion rights said the pitchers confirmed their belief that Trump was anti-abort, despite declaring during his presidential campaign that it was up to the individual states to decide whether he would allow practice.

Ryan Stitzlein from the National Abortion Rights Organization Reproductive free by abortion.

“We never thought it was true and it shows us that we were right.”