Thousands of Brazilians on Thursday rallied against a bill under debate in Congress that would equate abortion with homicide and impose sentences of up to 20 years for terminating a pregnancy after 22 weeks, even in cases of rape.
Powerful conservative lawmakers sent the bill straight to the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, bypassing discussion in committees, which caused an outcry from progressive groups.
In Rio de Janeiro, protesters lit candles and chanted “A girl is not a mother.”
Activist Vivian Nigri accused lawmakers of defending “the right of the foetus” at the expense “of the rights of a child.”
“A child should not be forced to carry a pregnancy that is the result of rape,” she told AFP.
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