THOUSANDS of “Women for Democracy” protesters rallied behind Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Thursday and condemned the “soft coup” against her.

Under the slogan: “Putschists shall not pass,” some 5,000 women marched through Rio de Janeiro in opposition to the interim government of acting President Michel Temer.

Mr Temer, who leads the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) and was vice-president in Ms Rousseff’s coalition, took power last month after congress voted to suspend the elected president over allegations that she had improperly increased social spending in the year before the 2014 election.