Events Planned in Twelve California Cities as part of an International Day of Action Calling for a Halt to All Executions and Urging Clemency for Stanley Williams


For Immediate Release: November 29, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO - On Wednesday, November 30th, press conferences and rallies will be held in more than a dozen California cities across the state as part of an International Day of Action calling for a halt to all executions and asking Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to commute Stanley Williams’ death sentence to a sentence of Life Without Parole. Williams faces a December 13th execution date. The Governor has agreed to hold a private hearing on Dec. 8th to consider Williams’ request for clemency.

More than 175,000 Californians have signed a petition asking for a temporary suspension of executions in California while the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice completes its 2-year study of the criminal justice system. The Commission is conducting both private and public meetings and is due to submit its final report by December 31, 2007. The “California Moratorium on Executions Act” (A.B.1121), which would temporarily suspend executions in California, is scheduled to have its first hearing in January 2006.

Also on November 30th, more than 350 cities around the world will illuminate a symbolic monument as a demonstration of their opposition to the death penalty and to commemorate World Cities Against the Death Penalty Day. Cities participating in this event will include: Rome, Tokyo, Lyon, Brussels, Barcelona, Florence, Venice, Buenos Aires, Austin, Madrid, Dallas, Antwerp, Vienna, Naples, Paris, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Reggio Emilia, Bogotà, and Santiago de Chile. Cities in California that will be officially celebrating this date are West Hollywood, Berkeley, and Santa Cruz.

The 1000th execution in the United States since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976 is also scheduled to be carried out on this date. Robin Lovitt of Virginia will be executed on November 30th barring a last minute stay of execution. Lovitt, who has always maintained his innocence, is represented by Ken Starr.

Events are sponsored by: the Save Tookie Committee, the NAACP, the ACLU of Northern, Southern California and San Diego, Amnesty International USA, California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty, Death Penalty Focus, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Progressive Jewish Alliance, American Friends Service Committee and many others.