Marathon filibuster defeats anti-abortion bill - in pictures

Senator Wendy Davis talks at length about why abortion should be widely available, in an effort to filibuster a bill that would tighten regulations on abortion providers in Texas Photograph: Bob Daemmrich/Corbis

Visitors crowd the Senate gallery to watch Wendy Davis's marathon speech, which included testimonies from women and doctors. The aim of the filibuster was to block a bill by Republican senator Glenn Hegar which would have banned abortions after 20 weeks, limited abortion-inducing drugs and required expensive upgrades to abortion facilities Photograph: Bob Daemmrich/Corbis

Wendy Davis knew she was in for a long haul and came wearing appropriate shoes. The speech was expected to last 13 hours and archaic rules stated she could not sit, lean or stop talking until the bill's midnight deadline, otherwise the bill could have been agreed and signed Photograph: Bob Daemmrich/Corbis

Pro-choice activists watch intently Photograph: Bob Daemmrich/Corbis

Though the marathon speech proved too much for the chap in the bottom right Photograph: Bob Daemmrich/Corbis

Hundreds line up to enter the Senate chamber Photograph: Eric Gay/AP

After Wendy Davis was cut off 15 minutes short of her target, her Democratic colleagues and members of the gallery did all they could to stall proceeding and prevent anyone signing the bill Photograph: Eric Gay/AP

Davis and her supporters succeeded. Despite initial controversy over the timing, David Dewhurst, the Texas lieutenant governor, finally conceded defeat, saying he had missed the midnight deadline to sign the bill. Photograph: Eric Gay/AP