People protest the murder of Troy Davis

The Rev. Gatewood speaking at Sept. 21 rally in Chapel Hill, N.C. WW photo: Peter Gilbert

On Sept. 21, as the hour of Troy Davis’ legal murder grew closer, people across the country expressed their outrage at the U.S. government and the state of Georgia. Their numbers and militancy exposed the lie that is the so-called U.S. “justice” system.

In Philadelphia, up to 100 death penalty opponents leafleted passersby and chanted for hours and then took over the busy streets at the 7 p.m. scheduled execution hour. When news came that the Supreme Court had stayed the execution, they chanted, “Power to the people!” and raised fists together on the City Hall steps. Upon receiving news that it was just a temporary stay, they retook the street. The police called for reinforcements and eventually pushed the demonstrators to the sides. For the next hour, demonstrators continuously disrupted traffic, timed to the green and red walk/don’t walk signals, as the police attempted to clear the protesters from the crosswalks.

Detroit WW photo: Kris Hamel

In downtown Detroit, the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice and Amnesty International jointly called an emergency demonstration from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. outside the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. The protesters received a very favorable response from people on the street, with several joining the demonstration. One woman who joined in stated that her brother was just released after 30 years of unjust incarceration. A man on a bicycle stopped and told activists that he had a friend who was executed in Alabama in 1959 for allegedly raping and killing a white woman, but he was innocent. Many cars, buses and taxis honked, and people gave a fist salute in recognition of and solidarity with the demonstrators and with Troy Davis.

Boston WW photo: Stevan Kirschbaum

In Harlem, N.Y., people gathered at the Adam Clayton Powell State Building and marched down 125th Street in a militant demonstration lasting well into the night. They chanted, “Free Troy Davis! Stop the execution!” Many signs and a large banner carried the same message. Police attacked several solidarity demonstrations throughout New York City in the days before and after Davis’s execution.

With less than 24 hours notice and in spite of heavy rains, a multinational group of nearly 150 students and community members gathered on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s campus on Sept. 21 for a spirited rally against the execution of Troy Davis. The demonstration was organized by the NAACP, the Black Student Movement, Amnesty International and Students for a Democratic Society. Student speakers denounced the execution, cited the facts of the case that proved Troy Davis was innocent and exposed the death penalty as one aspect of broader systemic racism in U.S. society. Between speakers, chants of “Free Troy Davis!” and “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” filled the air, along with a number of civil rights songs. The Rev. Curtis Gatewood of the North Carolina NAACP closed the rally with a speech that motivated the crowd to continue to build a movement to dismantle the racist death penalty.

Harlem, N.Y. WW photo: Brenda Ryan

Ben Carroll, Kris Hamel, Joe Piette and Brenda Sandburg contributed to this report.