On the heels of three significant U.S. Supreme Court rulings limiting the use of the death penalty, anti-death penalty activists will converge on Washington, D.C. next week for the 12th Annual Fast & Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty.

"This Supreme Court session has seen the abolition of the death penalty for juvenile offenders, and strong rebukes to both prosecutors and defense attorneys that will absolutely reduce the number of people executed in this country," said Abe Bonowitz, a spokesman for the Abolitionist Action Committee. "This year we will celebrate these victories and continue to educate the public about why the death penalty is a bad public policy."

"Starvin' for Justice" runs from 12am Wednesday, June 29 through midnight Saturday, July 2 - four days of activities commemorating the historic 1972 and 1976 Supreme Court rulings that suspended the death penalty in the United States and later allowed executions to resume. At a noon hour rally on June 29 and in "teach-ins" each evening, speakers will address various perspectives on the issue. Prominent among the speakers will be David Kaczynski, brother of the Unabomber, Dale Recinella, a leading Catholic theologian, and Diann Rust-Tierney, executive director of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.

June 29 marks the 33rd anniversary of the Furman v. Georgia decision suspending executions, while July 2 marks the 29th anniversary of the Gregg v. Georgia ruling allowing executions to resume. Since Gregg, 972 people have been executed in the United States, with another execution scheduled to take place June 30, during the course of the four day protest. This is the twelfth year in a row that the Abolitionist Action Committee has held its annual Fast and Vigil between the dates of these two landmark decisions. Activists, many of whom are fasting the entire four days, are traveling to Washington D.C. from across the United States and beyond. Others are fasting and holding solidarity events throughout the United States and beyond.

Highlights of this highly visual and interactive annual event include live music and talks by death row survivors, victims family members, and noted activists. Please see details at http://www.abolition.org/starvin12.html

ATTENTION REPORTERS, EDITORS AND PRODUCERS:

* A "media availability" will be held at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, June 29 on the sidewalk in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Leaders from various organizations opposing the death penalty will be available. A public rally, complete with interesting visuals, will begin at noon, and evening "teach-ins" will take place starting at 6:30pm on June 29, June 30, and July 1, and at 5:30pm on July 2.

* Consider interviews with activists from your specific state or region. Participants are expected from Canada, Denmark, Alabama, Alaska,
California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington DC, Washington State and others.

For more information please visit http://www.abolition.org/starvin12.html

The Abolitionist Action Committee is an ad-hoc group of individuals committed to highly visible and effective public education for alternatives to the death penalty through nonviolent direct action.