This post was written by Hatchet Reporter Roxanne Goldberg. 

Despite freezing rain, tempers were hot outside the Supreme Court on Monday as scores of anti-abortion activists met abortion rights counter-protesters at the culmination of the annual March for Life.

Sunday marked the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the controversial Supreme Court decision that granted women the right to abortion and inspired the annual March for Life, a rally drawing hundreds of thousands anti-abortion activists for 39 years.

Thomas Sullivan, 57, has traveled to D.C. from Los Angeles every January for 10 years just to attend the March for Life.

“It’s rewarding even though it’s a long trip and difficult and cold because you see so many cheerful, happy people,” Sullivan said, who carries a tapestry of “Our Lady of Guadelupe,” an image he describes as the “women’s mother.”

Peacefully separated yet still standing side-by-side, the anti-abortion demonstrators and abortion rights supporters practiced various rituals.

Holly Anagnos, 33, stood at the center of a group of women and men holding candles and signs that read “Keep Abortion Legal.”  Speaking in one-sentence fragments, which were then repeated by her supporters, Holly shared a personal story in which she chose to have an abortion at 23 years old because she did not have the financial or familial support to raise a child.

“I’m very proud to be here and I’m glad because they need another person, they always need more people to come to these things to show that we are not afraid,” Anagnos said, who is the founder of Free Choice Miami.

Juxtaposed against Anagnos, anti-abortion demonstrators stood with their heads bowed in silence as a group of pastors offered prayers for unborn fetuses and asked for help in achieving their anti-abortion goals.

“It’s just so moving and so you want to come back every year because it is a different experience each time.  I’m going to keep coming out here until abortion is illegal again,” 15-year-old Amara Weston said.

Weston has been traveling from St. Louis with Churches for Life to attend the anniversary event for four years.

Standing between the two groups were observers who either chose not to affiliate themselves with one side or another, or were simply interested in the event itself.

March for Life draws not only visitors from the four corners of the nation, but local students as well.

“It was much more emotional than I had expected it to be,” sophomore Alison Mortell said, “No matter how you feel about abortion, it’s a fascinating environment to be a part of and something everyone should go just to see and experience.”

While both sides met with opposing views, high-strung emotion was shared by all.

“I think this very well could be the most underrepresented issue and the most important issue of our life because it is dealing with life itself,” Catholic University graduate student and Portugal native Alvaro Neto said.