[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----USA----4-day fast and vigil to protest death penalty at Supreme Court (June 29-July 2)

[Rick Halperin]

41 Years after SCOTUS Upholds Death Penalty:

Anti-Death Penalty Activists to Fast and Vigil for Four Days

Outside of U.S. Supreme Court to Mark Historic Court Rulings

as Death Penalty Use Declines



CALLING FOR THE SUPREME COURT TO DECLARE THE DEATH PENALTY

CRUEL AND UNUSUAL AS MORE STATES ABANDON ITS USE



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



WHEN: June 29 and June 30 from 9:00 am until 8:00 pm

       July 1 and 2 - around the clock, 24-hour presence (ending at midnight on 
July 2)

       Evening teach-ins with noted speakers each day from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm 
(SEE BELOW)

       *** A public rally will be held Saturday, July 2 at 12:00 pm ***



WHAT: A four day liquid-only fast and vigil to mark the anniversaries of the 
historic 1972 Furman and 1976 Gregg Supreme Court decisions on the death
penalty.



WHO: Exonerated death row prisoners, murder victim family members, 100+ 
anti-death penalty activists from as many as 20 states, clergy, scholars and
leaders of state and national anti-death penalty organizations.



WHERE: On the sidewalk in front of the United States Supreme Court in 
Washington, DC



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



The Annual "Starvin’ for Justice” Fast and Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty 
protest is a four day liquid-only fast and vigil to mark the anniversaries
of the historical 1972 Furman and 1976 Gregg Supreme Court decisions around the 
death penalty.  Participants in the annual event include exonerated death
row prisoners, murder victim family members, death row family members, clergy, 
scholars and various leaders in the national movement to abolish the death
penalty.  Please see details at 
http://www.abolition.org/fastandvigil/schedule.html.



We can arrange interviews with activists from your specific state or region. 
Contact Bill Pelke at bpelke at yahoo.com or (305) 775-5832 with your request.



This year, a trial of 12 protestors will be also taking place on June 28 in DC 
Superior Court as part of this event, stemming from a January 17, 2017
arrest at the Supreme Court protesting the death penalty.



Event background:  This year, June 29, 2017 marks the 45th anniversary of the 
Furman v. Georgia decision in which the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated all
death penalty laws in the United States, finding capital punishment to be 
applied in an arbitrary and capricious manner.  July 2nd marks the 41st
anniversary of the 1976 Gregg decision, which upheld new state death penalty 
laws and allowing the resumption of executions.



This is the 24th consecutive year that the Abolitionist Action Committee will 
hold its annual Fast and Vigil between the dates of these two landmark
decisions. Activists, many of whom are fasting the entire four days, are 
traveling to Washington D.C. from across the United States and beyond.



RAIN ALERT: In the event of rain or significant threat thereof, evening events 
requiring amplification will take part inside the United Methodist Church
Building, immediately adjacent (across Maryland Ave. on 1st St.)



The Abolitionist Action Committee is an ad-hoc group of individuals committed 
to highly visible and effective public education for alternatives to the
death penalty through nonviolent direct action.



Information online at www.abolition.org, or call 800-973-6548.



# # #