Thousands attended an annual anti-abortion rally in Washington, DC, on Friday.

The so-called "March for Life" rally comes after the Supreme Court signaled that it would allow states to impose tighter restrictions on abortion.

The crowds had their hopes up that the Supreme Court may be poised to soon overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which guarantees a constitutional right to abortion.

The rally is being held one day before the 49th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling.

Protestors marched with signs saying "the future is anti-abortion" and "I am the post-Roe generation."

The crowd was in a celebratory mood as they listened to speeches by anti-abortion movement leaders, religious figures and Republican politicians.

Some abortion opponents posted on the event's Facebook page that they would not attend because of vaccine requirements for people going to restaurants and other places in the US capital.

Several members of the white nationalist Patriot Front attended the march, holding a banner that said, "Strong Families Make Strong Nations." Police surrounded the group and kept them cordoned off from the rest of the march. 

What could happen to Roe v. Wade?

The Roe v. Wade ruling was given in 1973 and established a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy before the fetus is viable, at around 24 weeks. It struck down a number of abortion laws that were in effect at the time.

The state of Mississippi is seeking to revive its Republican-backed law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

In December, the Supreme Court indicated that it would uphold this law, which constitutes a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade.

The Supreme Court has a 6-3 majority of conservative justices, with three of them having been appointed under Donald Trump's presidency. The court is expected to give a ruling on the Mississippi case by June this year.

Before hearing the Mississippi case, the court declined to block a Texas law that bans most abortions after the detection of cardiac activity— before most women even know they are pregnant.

What did the White House say about the situation?

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a press briefing on Friday that "reproductive health care has been under extreme and relentless assault ever since [the Roe v. Wade ruling], especially in recent months."

"We're deeply committed to making sure everyone has access to care and will defend it with every tool we have," Psaki added. She said that President Joe Biden's administration would work with Congress to pass a bill that protects the right to provide and access abortion care free from waiting periods, counseling and other restrictions.

sdi/fb (AP, AFP, Reuters)