Thirty-two years after the US Supreme Court legalised abortions in a landmark judgment, the issue continues to divide America deeply -- some say now more than before.

Thousands of anti-abortion activists, carrying pictures of bloody foetuses, took to the streets in Washington and held a rally close to the White House.
President W. George Bush, a strong opponent of abortions, phoned in his support for the marchers saying he shared their "culture of life" and added "this movement will not fail".

The 1973 decision to legalise abortions in the country have been protested by Christian religious groups for over three decades. There are signs that the decision in the famous Roe versus Wade case could be overturned once Bush nominates anti-abortion justices to the Supreme Court.

"We need most of all to change hearts and that is what we're doing," Bush said. He addressed marchers by phone from the presidential retreat at Camp David, where he had spent a long weekend.

He said while the day when every child was "protected in law may still be some ways away...even from far side of the river we can see its glimmerings".

"You know, we come from many different backgrounds, but what unites us is our understanding that the essence of civilisation is this: The strong have a duty to protect the weak," Bush said.

Senator Hillary Clinton, known for her strong pro-choice or pro-abortion views, appeared to slightly redefine her position at a rally, saying new political language was needed about abortion rights.

She said people from both sides of the divide should come together on "common ground" to reduce the number of "unwanted pregnancies". She described abortions as a "sad, even tragic choice to many, many women".

Clinton, who is widely believed to be a likely presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in 2008, said: "I for one respect those who believe with all their heart and conscience that there are no circumstances under which abortion should be available."

Although she reaffirmed her support for the legalisation of abortions, she said the problem needed to be tackled at the level of unwanted pregnancies. She appeared to be giving a closer look at her own position in the light of the recent defeat of Democratic Senator John Kerry during presidential elections because of, what many thought was, disregard for the conservative Christian constituency.