Thousands attend March for Life downtown

Traffic disruptions expected during March for Life CTV's Claudia Cautillo reports on what to expect from the March for Life happening on Parliament Hill.

Thousands of people took to the streets in Ottawa today for the March for Life.

The annual pro-life demonstration started on Parliament Hill in the early afternoon, and was followed by a march through downtown. The demonstration is billed as the largest anti-abortion protest in Canada.

Speakers included Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, Thomas Cardinal Collins of the Archdiocese of Toronto and Conservative MP Harold Albrecht.

Road closures started at 1 p.m., and continued until 4 p.m. OC Transpo buses were diverted from Albert Street for part of the afternoon, resulting in delays for some commuters and a backup of buses on the Mackenzie King bridge.

A counter protest march, billed as the Coalition to End the "March for Life," started at Confederation Park and marched north on Elgin Street as the March for Life headed south. The two groups of demonstrators met outside the National Arts Centre amid a heavy police presence. There were no reports of injuries or violence.