Troy Davis "March for Clemency" planned in Atlanta

Although the execution date of death row inmate Troy Davis is set for Wednesday, September 21 in Georgia, a last ditch effort is being made to save his life. Amnesty International, the National Action Network (NAN), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) are hosting a march and prayer vigil to stop his execution and move for clemency.


The march will take place today, September 16, at 6 p.m. at Woodruff Park near Peachtree and Edgewood in Atlanta and will continue to Ebenezer Baptist Church, 407 Auburn Avenue, near the burial grounds of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King.

Davis, 42, was convicted of the 1989 murder of a Savannah police officer. He has been on death row for 20 years. Over 60,000 people have signed a petition to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles calling for the commutation of his death sentence. Those signing the petition include Pope Benedict XVI, Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, representatives for the European Parliament, and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

"After the march, I will be joined by Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International, Rev. Al Sharpton of NAN, and Rev. Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock of Ebenezer at a rally at the church to continue shining a light on the appalling injustice that Troy Davis is facing," said Ben Jealous, President & CEO of the NAACP.

Performances by the Indigo Girls, several local choirs, and pleas from the Davis family are planned at the rally. "It’s times like this when we all know why we are so dedicated to the cause of justice," Jealous said.