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UA professor, local activists protest capital punishment

Just after Arizona's 20th execution, anti-capital punishment activists gathered at East Speedway Boulevard and North Euclid Avenue to protest yesterday's execution of Anthony Lee Chaney.

Chaney had been on death row for the past 18 years for the killing of Coconino County Deputy John Jamison. Chaney died yesterday at 3 p.m. by lethal injection.

Demonstrators lined the street in front of the First Christian Church, 740 E. Speedway Blvd., with signs that stated, "Two wrongs don't make a right."

Others read, "Murder is always wrong," and "Thou shalt not kill."

In a show of support, some motorists honked and yelled to the protesters.

About 35 people were involved in the demonstration, including University of Arizona law professor Andrew Silverman

"I'm against state sanctioned violence," Silverman said. "It doesn't deter violence, and it doesn't deter crime."

Silverman has been an outspoken human and labor rights activist and a member of Students Against Sweatshops.

While no students were in attendance, Silverman said he hopes that increased awareness may bring changes to students involvement in these issues.

"Common folks are coming out and I hope students are becoming more interested in this kind of issue," he said.

Several Arizona activist groups joined, including the Coalition of Arizona to Abolish the Death Penalty. The coalition organizes a protest whenever the state is set to execute a death row inmate.

Demonstrations also took place in Phoenix and at Florence State Penitentiary, Silverman said.

Protester Kathy Norgard said the issue boiled down to whether or not capital punishment is moral.

"It's about our government killing its citizens," said Norgard, a psychologist and chair of the coalition. "If we remain silent, it's like condoning what they're doing."

Other protesters criticized the death penalty's inability to lower crime rates and make the public any safer.

"Execution is not a deterrent and it's a really costly process," said Kevin Mooney, a Tucson law clerk.

The demonstration's organizers were pleased with the turn out that started with about 15 people at 4:30 p.m. and quickly doubled before the protest finished at about 6:00.

Some of the demonstrators felt that great national change is coming because the public is becoming more aware of the issue.

"It's a very real possibility Clinton will call for a moratorium (on the death penalty)," Norgard said. "It can never be used fairly."