Image: Waging Nonviolence   BY JASMINE BAILEY More than 20 thousand people marched in Russia Sunday in what is being called a “March Against Scoundrels” - a protest against the newly implemented Russian law banning Americans from adopting Russian children. The BBC has more . “Protesters are angry that Russian orphans have been caught up in a political row over American legislation targeting alleged Russian human’s right abuses.” Allegedly, the adoption ban is in retaliation for the new U.S. law and reflects Russian resentment over 19 Russian children adopted by Americans who died from abuse — 19 of the 60,000 adoption cased from the past two decades, according to the Associated Press. The New York Times reports , Russian government officials have been avidly highlighting those cases — framing American’s as child abusers. The new law, which is named after one of the 19 children,  was voted unanimously by Russian parliament. “State-controlled television has regaled Russians with reports of American parents who abuse or neglect Russian children, and a top official derided the marchers as ‘child-sellers.’” Government officials are calling the protesters “enemies of Russian sovereignty.” But protesters argue that the law victimizes Russian orphans rather than Americans. According to one protester ,… “Nobody cares for these children, and no one needs them… These kids are a living tragedy, and it’s outrageous to use them for a political end .” Many of the protesters held signs reading, “For a Russia without Herod” — comparing Russian president Vladimir Putin to King Herod, a biblical reference to a king who ordered the massacre of Jewish children to avoid being dethroned by the newborn king of the Jews. According Russian Children’s Welfare Society —more than 700,000 orphans live in Russia. Since the law banning American adoptions was passed, Russian political and religious leaders have been encouraging Russians to adopt more children. According to a poll released in December by the Public Opinion Foundation, 56 percent of Russians approve the adoption ban.