Two Anti-Death Penalty Activities This Week to Focus on Gov. Rick Perry and Issue of Innocence

On Wednesday, Oct. 31, Texas Governor Rick Perry will set a new record with the execution of Donnie Roberts at 6:00 PM in Huntsville. This will be his 250^th since taking office as governor in 2001. Activists in Houston will mark Perry’s milestone at the Old Hanging Oak Tree, 315 Capital at Bagby, with a press conference and demonstration. A 4-foot tall piñata of Rick Perry will be beaten until each of the 250 pieces of candy are out. Each candy will have the name of one of the 250 executed under Perry’s watch.

Saturday, Nov. 3, will be the 13^thAnnual March to Abolish the Death Penalty, in Austin at the Texas Capitol. A bus will leave from Houston’s SHAPE Center at 9:00 AM to take abolitionists to Austin. When the march kicks off at 2:00 PM, it will be led by four men who spent dozens of years on death row for crimes they were later found to be innocent of committing. The four exonerees are Clarence Brandley of Texas, Ron Keine of New Mexico, Albert Burrell of Louisiana and Shujaa Graham of California.