Peaceful protesters stood on the side of 5th Ave. and held signs protesting abortions and Planned Parenthood Sunday afternoon.

This is an annual protest for Right to Life and other pro-life organizations in the month of October. October is observed as “Respect Life Month” within Catholic churches in the U.S.

Members of the Saint Joseph’s church were out raising awareness, along with members from other churches around the Huntington area.

“We’re trying to raise awareness of the ethical issues involved in abortion,” said Frank Binder. “From a biological standpoint, you have a new genetic entity … Life begins at conception.”

With the election just around the corner, social issues such as abortion are often discussed. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said she supports a woman’s right to choose and has fought against the banning of abortions.

But for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, he has switched from once having a pro-choice stance to now being a pro-life supporter.

“I’m pro-life and I was originally pro-choice, I will say. As a developer and as a business man, I’m not sure if I was ever asked the question are you pro-life or pro-choice?” Trump told CNN’s Anderson Cooper at the Republican Town Hall.

“The democratic platform doesn’t support pro-life, so I don’t have to say anymore than that, and the Republican platform does,” said Teresa Tuohy. “Now for a while there, I didn’t think I was going to be able to vote this year at all, because Donald Trump was not what you would call pro-life. But he has promised that he would support pro-life.”

The next president may also select a new Supreme Court Justice to fill the roll of Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away last February. Scalia was a conservative judge who was also pro-life. For the Right to Life protesters, it is someone like Scalia that they would like to see take the bench this year.

“It’s hard to tell what he will do you know,” said Binder. “With Trump was the fact that he would appoint people, or says he would appoint people, that would be more like Scalia.”

Tom Jenkins can be contacted at jenkins196@ marshall.edu.