More than 15,000 people, including students from several area colleges, marched through Boston yesterday in an effort to raise money for anti-abortion groups.

Eighteen Harvard students, as well as groups from Wellesley College, Boston University, Northeastern, and MIT participated in the the third annual "Respect Life!" march, organizers said.

"It was nice to see the young people there," said Theresa Hamley of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, which organized the march.

Hannah K. Vorwerk '90, co-director of the Harvard--Radcliffe Progressive Alliance for Life, said that "there were lots of kids" and estimated that more than 50 percent of the crowd was "on the young side."

She said that the Harvard presence at the demonstration was intended to break a "stereotype" of college students as uniformly pro-choice.

"We hope to raise awareness on campus that society is not really providing a choice, that abortion is the only choice...society just doesn't provide for unwed mothers," said George P. Cassidy '90, the secretary and treasurer of the Alliance for Life.

Also at the march was a group of about 20 pro-choice demonstrators, including about 15 members of theHarvard-Radcliffe Students for Choice.

Dulcy Anderson '92, one of the pro-choicedemonstrators at the march, said that "a presencefrom the pro-choice side" was necessary toaccurately represent the Harvard studentcommunity.

Last year, about 7000 people participated inthe anti-abortion march, Hamley said. However,abortion has recently been thrust to the forefrontof state politics as a result of the U.S. SupremeCourt's decision in Webster v. ReproductiveHealth Services, which weakened federalprotection of abortion.

Boston police estimated that between 15,000 and20,000 people participated in yesterday's march.

The event was designed to raise money for avariety of groups which oppose abortion, said AnneKelleher, a spokesperson for Citizens for Life.

Hamley said she did not know how much moneyyesterday's march raised. Last year, thedemonstration raised $50,000, Kelleher said.

'A Different Viewpoint'

The Progressive Alliance for Life was foundedlast year "to offer a different viewpoint" onabortion issues, said Cathleen M. Taylor '90, oneof the group's founding directors.

The group probably will not participate in theJanuary 23 annual march on Washington protestingthe 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Courtdecision, Taylor said. "It's right in the middleof exams.