On June 2, 2009, the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry is scheduled to take place. There are protests planned in the U.S., Canada and Europe (see the list below). Since he became governor of Texas in December 2000, Perry has allowed more executions to proceed than any other governor in U.S. history.
The Texas anti-death penalty community asks people around the world to focus your attention on Texas and join us in protesting the 200th execution carried out under Rick Perry. Altogether, Texas has executed 438 people since 1982, including 152 under former Texas Governor George W. Bush.
One execution under Perry that should shake the confidence in the death penalty of any Texan is the case of Todd Willingham, who was executed in 2004. He proclaimed from the time of his arrest until he was strapped onto the gurney that he was innocent of the arson/murders for which he was executed. A group of national fire experts have concluded based on a reexamination of the evidence using modern scientific knowledge of forensic science and burn patterns that the fire that sent him to death row was not deliberately set, but was an accident. The Texas Forensic Science Commission is currently examining the case. The risk of executing an innocent person is very real in Texas because of the pace of executions, exemplified by Perry’s record of 200.
Join our online community to protest the 200th execution.
The AP reports:
Hankins, 34, was set to die Tuesday evening for the 2001 slayings of Kevin Galley, 12, and Ashley Mason, 11, children of his estranged wife, 34-year-old Tammy Hankins. All three were gunned down inside their mobile home in Mansfield, about 20 miles southeast of Fort Worth.
He would be the 16th prisoner executed this year in the nation’s busiest capital punishment state.
His appeals were exhausted and no last-minute attempts to delay the lethal injection were expected, William Harris, Hankins’ attorney, said.
“I don’t have anything I can think of in this case that stands any kind of chance of doing any good,” Harris said.
Hankins declined to speak with reporters from death row.
“What else is there to say?” Harris said. “I think he regrets what he did but I also think he’s fatalistic about the fact he can’t change it.
Protest locations include Austin at the Texas Capitol (Organized by Campaign to End the Death Penalty), Huntsville outside The Walls Unit (Organized by Texas Moratorium Network), downtown Houston (Organized by Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement), Albuquerque, New Mexico (May 30), Paris France (June 3) at the Place de la Concorde, Brussels Belgium, Leipzig Germany at the U.S. Embassy and Montreal Canada. Unless noted, protests will occur on June 2. More protests will be announced as they are confirmed. Some of the locations will include a reading of the names of the people executed under Rick Perry. Times and locations are available on the website http://
The 200th execution protests are sponsored by Texas Moratorium Network, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, Campaign to End the Death Penalty – Austin, Students Against the Death Penalty, Texas Death Penalty Education and Resource Center, Abolish the Death Penalty Project on Amazee, the DP Coordination Team of Amnesty International Canada Francophone and Amnesty International – Leipzig. If your organization would also like to be a sponsor, email us atadmin@texasmoratorium.org or call 512-961-6389.
Join our online community to protest the 200th execution.
How you can protest the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry
1) On the day of the 200th execution, call Governor Perry at 512-463-1782 and tell him your opinion on the death penalty. If you live in the U.S., you can use his the form on his website to email him. We suggest you both call him and email him. If you live outside the U.S., you can fax him at(512) 463-1849 or send him a letter in the postal mail.
2) Attend a protest in your city either on the day of the 200th execution or sometime before. If a protest is not scheduled, you can organize a protest. If you live outside the U.S., organize a protest at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Send us a photo or video of your protest by emailand we will post it on this website and on YouTube. Or you can upload your photos and videos yourself to our social networking site or directly to our group on YouTube. If your organization is planning a protest, please let us know so that we can list your protest on this site.
3) Sign the petition and add your name to the list of people who are raising their voices to protest the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry.
4) Donate a symbolic 200 cents towards helping us organize against the Texas death penalty. That is one penny for every execution under Rick Perry. We are asking everyone to donate $2, which is the equivalent of 200 pennies. You are welcome to donate more if you can afford it, but everyone can afford to donate $2.
The artwork at www.protest200executions.com is by German artist Jasmin Hilmer represents the isolation of Texas in the world community. While most of the rest of the world, including all of Europe, have turned their backs on the use of capital punishment, Texas continues to execute people at a shocking rate.
Houston Protest of the 200th Execution
In Houston, the 200th legal lynching protest will be held from 5:00 until 6:30 under The Old Hanging Tree, corner of Bagby and Capitol downtown. Guest speaker is the borther of Albert Woodfox, one of the Angola Three!
A press conference will be held at 5:00.
Following the press conference, there will be an open mic so all can register their outrage at another day of infamy for the state of Texas in its quest for executions.
If your organization would like to co-sponsor this protest in Houston, contact the Abolition Movement at: Abolition.Movement@hotmail.com
Time: June 2, 2009 from 5pm to 6:30pm Location: The Old Hanging Tree
Street: Bagby and Capitol
City: Houston
Organized By: Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement
Contact: Abolition.Movement@hotmail.com
Sign the petition to protest the 200th execution!
The Austin protest of the 200th execution will be at 5:30 PM on the day of the 200th execution at the sidewalk in front of the Texas Capitol facing South on Congress and 11th Street.
Organized by Campaign to End the Death Penalty
Contact: lilymae30@hotmail.com
More details coming soon.
An organizing meeting for the Austin protest of the 200th execution will be held Wednesday, May 27th at 7 PM at Double Dave’s pizza located at:
3000 Duval Street in Austin.
Everyone is welcome.
Time: June 2, 2009 from 5pm to 6:30pm
Location: The Walls Unit
Street: 12th Street and Avenue I
City/Town: Huntsville, Texas
Contact: Sarah Hannah (979) 450-2179 or Scott Cobb (512-552-4743)
There will be a protest of the 200th execution under Governor Rick Perry on the Place de la Concorde, Tuileries/US Consulate side from 6pm to 7pm.
“Nous vous invitions à soutenir les efforts du mouvement abolitionniste au Texas en participant à une protestation le mercredi 3 juin à 18h, Place de la Concorde. Nous vous encourageons par ailleurs à manifester votre désapprobation en écrivant directement à l’Ambassadeur des Etats-Unis en France, Mr. Craig Stapleton, Ambassade des Etats-Unis, 2 avenue Gabriel, 75832 Paris Cédex 08; ainsi qu’à notre Secrétaire d’Etat Chargée des Affaires Etrangères et des Droits de l’Homme, Madame Rama Yade, 37 quai d’Orsay, 75351 Paris.
Rendez-vous le 3 juin 2009 à 18h Place de la Concorde à Paris.”
Contact Sandrine Ageorges at sandrine.ageorges@gmail.com.
There will be a protest of the 200th execution under Governor Rick Perry outside the US Consulate in Leipzig Germany. Leipzig is a sister city of Houston, Texas.
When the old East Germany conducted executions, they held the executions in Leipzig, although at the time it was not widely if at all known.
Time: June 2, 2009 from 5pm to 6pm
Location: U.S. Consulate
Street: Wilhelm-Seyfferth- Straße 4
City/Town: Leipzig, Germany
Organized By: Amnesty International – Leipzig
Contact: Paula J. Herwigat: ai_paula@yahoo.de
Protest the 200th Texas Execution under Gov. Rick Perry! Bring your own signs if you have some! We can also stay for the Peace Protest afterwards!
New Mexico recently abolished the death penalty. On May 30, people in New Mexico will hold a protest of the 200th execution under Rick Perry of Texas.
Date and Time: May 30, 2009 from 12pm to 1pm Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Street: Central Ave and Tulane Dr
Contact: Christy Armell at: christy_n_haylie505@yahoo.com
Between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on June 2 protesters will be standing in front of the US Embassy in Brussels, Belgium with banners protesting the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry.
US Embassy Regentlaan 27
Brussels, 1000
Belgium
Montreal, Canada Protest of the 200th Execution Protest City Protest Description Die-In to Protest Rick Perry’s 200th Execution
The DP Coordination Team of Amnesty International Canada Francophone invites the public, organizations and its members to participate in a die-in.
When : June 2nd @ 5:30PM
Where : Ste-Catherine St., between Berri and St-Denis Streets (just off Berri-UQAM subway station)
This die-in is held for those wishing to express a strong message in favor of abolishing the death penalty in the State of Texas.
The re-enactment will represent the 200 executions pronounced by the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, since the beginning of his governorship in 2001, when he replaced George W. Bush.
We ask people to dress soberly; preferably all dressed in black.
For more information, please contact pdm.coordination@amnistie.ca or visit www.amnistie.ca/pdm.
La Coordination pour l’Abolition de la peine de mort d’Amnistie internationale Canada francophone invite le public, les organisations et ses sympathisants à participer à un “die-in”.
Quand : Le 2 juin prochain à partir de 17h30
Où : Sur la rue Ste-Catherine, entre les rues Berri et St-Denis (à deux pas de la Station Berri-UQAM)Ce “die-in” s’adresse à ceux et celles qui souhaitent exprimer un message en faveur de l’abolition de la peine de mort dans l’État du Texas.
La mise en scène représentera les 200 exécutions prononcées par le Gouverneur du Texas, Rick Perry, depuis le début de son mandat en 2001, alors qu’il a succédé à George W. Bush. Le mot d’ordre du rassemblement est la sobriété ; il sera préférable d’être habillé tout de noir.
Pour davantage d’informations, contactez pdm.coordination@amnistie.ca.
Begin Date June 2, 2009 Begin Time End Date June 2, 2009 End Time Location of the protest (if you already know the exact location) Berri-UQAM Ste-Catherine St, between St-Denis and Berri Streets
Montreal, Quebec
CanadaPublic Contact Information
