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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The impassioned debate over abortion will be playing out in Syracuse and many other cities over the next few weeks.

Anti-abortion advocates launched the “40 Days for Life” Campaign Tuesday night, holding a vigil in front of the Planned Parenthood offices on East Genesee Street. The group plans to continue to gather there to pray daily until April 24th.

"To pray for everyone involved in the abortion industry, for the young women who are in a very crisis situation that they feel support," vigil organizer Shannon Guy said.

Planned Parenthood issued this statement in response to the vigil:

The “40 Days for Life” Campaign intent is to intimidate the many patients who seek basic health care services from Planned Parenthood, including lifesaving cancer screenings, testing for HIV, treatment for STIs, and family planning and birth control. Our patients should be able to get health care without fear of violence, harassment, or intimidation. If these protesters were truly committed to reducing the number of unintended pregnancies, they would work with Planned Parenthood to increase access to affordable birth control and comprehensive sex education.

At Planned Parenthood more than 90 percent of our services are preventive - including contraception, lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.

Abortion is a deeply personal and often complex decision for a woman. No one can make that decision for someone else. It is important that abortion remain a safe and legal medical procedure for a woman to consider, if, and when she needs it.