Working on this new server in php7...
imc indymedia

Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

white themeblack themered themetheme help
About Us Contact Us Calendar Publish RSS
Features
latest news
best of news
syndication
commentary


KILLRADIO

VozMob

ABCF LA

A-Infos Radio

Indymedia On Air

Dope-X-Resistance-LA List

LAAMN List




IMC Network:

Original Cities

www.indymedia.org africa: ambazonia canarias estrecho / madiaq kenya nigeria south africa canada: hamilton london, ontario maritimes montreal ontario ottawa quebec thunder bay vancouver victoria windsor winnipeg east asia: burma jakarta japan korea manila qc europe: abruzzo alacant andorra antwerpen armenia athens austria barcelona belarus belgium belgrade bristol brussels bulgaria calabria croatia cyprus emilia-romagna estrecho / madiaq euskal herria galiza germany grenoble hungary ireland istanbul italy la plana liege liguria lille linksunten lombardia london madrid malta marseille nantes napoli netherlands nice northern england norway oost-vlaanderen paris/Île-de-france patras piemonte poland portugal roma romania russia saint-petersburg scotland sverige switzerland thessaloniki torun toscana toulouse ukraine united kingdom valencia latin america: argentina bolivia chiapas chile chile sur cmi brasil colombia ecuador mexico peru puerto rico qollasuyu rosario santiago tijuana uruguay valparaiso venezuela venezuela oceania: adelaide aotearoa brisbane burma darwin jakarta manila melbourne perth qc sydney south asia: india mumbai united states: arizona arkansas asheville atlanta austin baltimore big muddy binghamton boston buffalo charlottesville chicago cleveland colorado columbus dc hawaii houston hudson mohawk kansas city la madison maine miami michigan milwaukee minneapolis/st. paul new hampshire new jersey new mexico new orleans north carolina north texas nyc oklahoma philadelphia pittsburgh portland richmond rochester rogue valley saint louis san diego san francisco san francisco bay area santa barbara santa cruz, ca sarasota seattle tampa bay tennessee urbana-champaign vermont western mass worcester west asia: armenia beirut israel palestine process: fbi/legal updates mailing lists process & imc docs tech volunteer projects: print radio satellite tv video regions: oceania united states topics: biotech

Surviving Cities

www.indymedia.org africa: canada: quebec east asia: japan europe: athens barcelona belgium bristol brussels cyprus germany grenoble ireland istanbul lille linksunten nantes netherlands norway portugal united kingdom latin america: argentina cmi brasil rosario oceania: aotearoa united states: austin big muddy binghamton boston chicago columbus la michigan nyc portland rochester saint louis san diego san francisco bay area santa cruz, ca tennessee urbana-champaign worcester west asia: palestine process: fbi/legal updates process & imc docs projects: radio satellite tv
printable version - js reader version - view hidden posts - tags and related articles


View article without comments

Riverside Protest Against Cooper Execution

by Kynn Bartlett, Inland Anti-Empire Friday, Feb. 06, 2004 at 1:36 AM
iae@kynn.com

In the heart of the conservative Inland Empire, hardy activists braved a cold, wet night to argue against the execution of Kevin Cooper. Speakers included local clergy, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and actors Mike Farrell and James Cromwell.

California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty and Death Penalty Focus held a rally on Tuesday night to protest the upcoming execution of Kevin Cooper -- a man convicted of murdering nearly an entire family from the Inland Empire in 1983. Although there are a number of legitimate doubts about Kevin's guilt, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has denied a clemency hearing. Barring some sort of legal miracle, Kevin will be put to death next Tuesday. The Riverside event was one of several taking place across California.

The rally, organized by the tireless (okay, not always) Carolyn Boyle, started at the old courthouse building in Riverside.

Clergy members from a number of faiths led prayers, while the crowd gathered by candlelight for a solemn vigil.

The quiet procession then walked slowly to the Martin Luther King memorial in front of Riverside City Hall.

Music was provided as the crowds grew to an estimated 50-80 people.

A giant letter to Governor Schwarzenegger appealing to his conscience was on display.

Despite the cold weather and sprinkling of raindrops, the attendees were passionate about their cause.

Speakers included community leaders, clergy, attorneys, and poets.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson compared the questionable evidence in the Cooper case to the questionable intelligence in Iraq. The latter led to a war that would kill thousands over a threat that did not exist.

Actor Mike Farrell (BJ Hunnicut on "M*A*S*H"), the president of Death Penalty Focus, spoke out on the injustice of state executions.

One of the more dramatic exchanges of the evening -- not covered by any of the newspaper or television reporters on hand -- took place when Joshua Ryen, one of the survivors of the ghastly murders for which Cooper was convicted, showed up and spoke to Mike Farrell offstage, away from the crowds. Passionate and angry, but oddly calm as well, he confronted Farrell and argued for Cooper's guilt. Cooper's execution, Ryen said, would bring closure to his pain and loss. Cooper's actions made him more than deserving of death, argued Ryen's unidentified female companion.

Standing in the shadows talking to the young man who had experienced so much horror -- his throat was slashed 20 years ago when he was 8, and his family was slaughtered -- Farrell was sympathetic but resolved as well. He didn't counterattack Ryen's arguments, but listened carefully. Ryen spoke his mind and then, as a KPFK reporter approached, he vanished beneath the dark shadow of the city hall building, refusing comment for the record. A palpable aura of contemplation lingered in his stead, each person who witnessed the exchange mulling over the actions of the night.

As the event wrapped up for the evening, Carolyn Boyle announced a reception in the basement of Back To the Grind coffeehouse. Not quite a party -- there was little to celebrate, to be honest -- the reception did give a chance for those who stuck it out 'till the end to speak with each other.

Actor James Cromwell ("Babe", "Star Trek: First Contact"), another speaker at the rally, is seen here with exhausted organizer Carolyn Boyle:

Cromwell added his signature to the growing list of signees at the bottom of the letter to Governor Schwarzenegger.

Good food, carefully labeled "vegetarian" or "vegan" as appropriate, was enjoyed by all.


For more pictures, see Kynn's Image Dump.

News Coverage:

Other Related News Stories:

Report this post as:
Share on: Twitter, Facebook, Google+

add your comments


"Closure" = Vengeance

by Bob Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2004 at 7:16 PM

As an antideath penalty advocate in Chicago, I recall a parade of witnesses put forth by prosecuting attorneys who demanded "closure" by the execution of those convicted of killing their loved ones.

Our Democrat state Attorney General is seeking to overturn the courageous commutations of all death row sentences to life by former governor George Ryan.

"Closure" sounds so much better than vengeance, which is what they really want. Although one can sympathize with these folk to a point, I would advise them to take a course in anger management, and get on with their lives.

Most importantly, state policy ought not be driven by victims' desire for revenge.
Report this post as:
Share on: Twitter, Facebook, Google+

add your comments


© 2000-2018 Los Angeles Independent Media Center. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Los Angeles Independent Media Center. Running sf-active v0.9.4 Disclaimer | Privacy