A torrential downpour didn’t stop about 100 UNC students from gathering in the Pit at 5 p.m. on Wednesday to express their outrage at the controversial execution of Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis and to speak out against racism and injustice.
Senior Ana Maria Reichenbach organized the rally, which took place only two hours before Troy Davis was scheduled to be put to death. She said the idea had been formed during a recent Students for a Democratic Society meeting, which inspired her and several other on-campus organization leaders to join forces in light of the Davis case.
She said she was amazed by the response she received from other UNC organizations, such as the campus chapters of the NAACP, Amnesty International, CJA and Building Bonds Breaking Bonds.
“It just shows how people see this injustice,” she said.
In August 1991, Davis was convicted of the 1989 murder of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail and has been on death row ever since.
But over the past few years, a nationwide movement to save Davis has grown in popularity, with notable supporters including Pope Benedict XVI and former President Jimmy Carter.
The rally began with Reichenbach leading the audience in several chants, including “Tell me what you want, what you really want — justice!”
Many in the crowd held signs with slogans like “Save Troy Davis!” and “Speak Out Against a Broken System!”
A few students spoke at the rally, including senior Laurel Ashton, a member of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro NAACP.
“Racism still exists! It’s alive on this very campus!” she said.
Senior Eric Campbell, president of the Black Student Movement on campus, said he agreed with Ashton.
Senior Amanda Ellis, president of the UNC chapter of the NAACP, said Davis deserves a fair trial.
“This execution of an innocent man shows total disregard for human value,” she said.
Rev. Curtis E. Gatewood, a staff member of the North Carolina NAACP, reminded the crowd that seven out of the nine witnesses who initially testified against Davis recanted their statements.
“As citizens, as Christians, as caring human beings, we need to speak out against injustice wherever it may raise its ugly head,” he said.
After Gatewood’s speech, the rally had to be cut short because of the rain.
Reichenbach said that she hopes the protest will help UNC students get inspired to take action.
“People need to go beyond just voting for what they want to happen,” she said.
At 7:05pm, about an hour after the rally ended, it was announced that Davis’ execution was to be delayed for an unspecified amount of time while the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed a request to stay the execution. It later denied the request.
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