Hundreds of protesters gathered on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning (Jun. 23) to demand the immediate shelving of Bill 1904/24. The bill equates abortion after 22 weeks of gestation with murder, proposing to increase the maximum sentence for individuals who undergo the procedure from ten to 20 years.

Social assistant Clara Saraiva, one of the organizers of the demonstration and a member of the State Front Against the Criminalization of Women and for the Legalization of Abortion in Rio de Janeiro, stated that the protest is part of a national movement called “Criança não é Mãe” (Child is not a Mother). The movement demands the immediate shelving of the bill because it protects rapists and restricts women from exercising their legal right to abortion after the 22nd week of pregnancy.

“Beyond prevention, it criminalizes women by treating them as murderers, potentially subjecting them to a sentence of up to 20 years, which is extremely severe, even greater than that for rape,” she explained.

Federal Representative Jandira Feghali, from the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), emphasized that people’s actions in the streets are crucial for exerting pressure on parliamentarians. “This Bill 1904, besides being unconstitutional, is absolutely criminal and sets us back to the early last century. A child is not a mother, and a rapist is not a father,” she said.

During the protest, attendees criticized the President of the House of Representatives, Arthur Lira, who has approved the request for urgency of the bill, which means voting it directly in the plenary without going through the debates in the House commissions. Following street protests and demonstrations by religious institutions, Lira announced the formation of a special committee to discuss the bill in the second half of the year.

Among the demonstrators was pensioner Francisco Viana de Souza, who expressed his belief that “the people have been disrespected” by the approval of the urgent procedure.

São Paulo

In São Paulo, protesters gathered in front of the São Paulo Museum of Art on Paulista Avenue in the city’s central region. This was the third demonstration against Bill 1904 to be held there since June 13.

A drum kit provided rhythm to the rallying cries, while demonstrators took turns at the microphone, explaining the reasons for the protest. Some wore the green scarf, which has become a symbol of actions in defense of the right to legal abortion.

Letícia Parks, an activist from the Bread and Roses movement, explains that there is a risk of the bill being voted on in August, which is why there is a need for ongoing mobilization.

“It’s very important to send a message to Congress that we won’t stop fighting as long as this bill remains on the agenda,” she emphasized.

Crédito arquivo Nacional EBC