Denton marches to end the death penalty
By
DENTON, Texas--On September 4, a coalition of progressive activist groups held the first annual March Against the Death Penalty here.
Activists from Amnesty International, the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and the International Socialist Organization (ISO) turned out to a rally before the march that included inspiring speeches from those in the anti-death penalty movement. "The death penalty is the modus operandi of the capitalist system," Christopher Netjek, a member of the ISO, told the crowd.
Following the speeches, anti-death penalty activists participated in a spirited march through town, ending at the University of North Texas. A showing of the documentary State v. Reed--which documents the many travesties involved in the case of Rodney Reed, an innocent man on death row in Texas--followed.
One of those in attendance at the rally and march was Roderick Reed, the brother of Rodney Reed. Rodney's case embodies everything that is wrong with the death penalty. No physical evidence connects Rodney with the crime he is accused of. He could not afford proper representation at his trial and was convicted by an all-white jury. A white police officer, a prime suspect in the case, was allowed to directly manipulate evidence.
Roderick's testimony deeply affected everyone involved in the march and reaffirmed our commitment to overturn what one speaker referred to as the ultimate human rights abuse: the death penalty.
A week after the march, anti-death penalty activists gathered once again--this time to protest an appearance by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who came to town on a campaign stop. Perry stands at the helm of the state which executes more people than any other state in the nation. As governor, Perry has overseen the executions of over 200 people--including Cameron Todd Willingham, who was almost certainly innocent of the crime for which he was executed.
Activists were ready to crash Rick Perry's party when he came to town. As the governor began his speech, protesters began to shout, "Rick Perry you can't lie, we charge you with homicide!" After Perry's security guards forced protesters out, they continued their protest outside.
In Texas, activists are sending a strong message to the politicians in both Austin and Washington that we will not stop until the death penalty is abolished in this state, and throughout the nation.
