Mass. citizens Against the Death Penalty Marked 80th Anniversary of the Execution of Sacco & Vanzetti

The Massachusetts Citizens Against the Death Penalty (MCADP) marked the eightieth anniversary of the executions of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, on August 23, 2007 with a program that begun at 11:00 a.m., in front of the Paul Revere statue (in the Prado) at the Paul Revere Mall, Hanover Street in the North End.

Speakers included Former Governor Michael S. Dukakis, Robert Meeropol (Ethel & Julius Rosenberg's son), Robert Renny Cushing, and David M. Ehrmann.

Governor Dukakis spoke about the history of his famous 1977 proclamation (see text in this webpage under Documents) but also warned about similar conditions of anti-immigrant and anti-terrorist histeria and injustice today. Robert Meeropol, who was 7 years old when his parents were executed spoke about the sequels that repression and execution leave on the children and the families of the victims.

The MCADP stated that "Sacco and Vanzetti continue to symbolize the inherent defect in the death penalty. Sacco and Vanzetti endure as a reminder that the death penalty is always about politics rather than justice. In this eightieth commemoration of their execution, we are still fighting to abolish the death penalty in the region and the nation."

For more information: www.mcadp.org or e-mail Martina Jackson: danandmar[@]earthlink.net