25 days...The clock is ticking...Save Tookie!

Campaign to End the Death Penalty Action Alert

THE CLOCK IS TICKING...
Stop the execution of Stan Tookie Williams!

There's only 26 days left to save Stan Tookie Williams.
People around the country are taking action to stop the execution of
Stan Tookie Williams, the California death row prisoner who is scheduled to
be executed on December 13.
From now until that date, we will send out a regular action alert to
report on events held in support of Stan, let people know about efforts
currently underway, and how you can get involved today.
If you or your group have an event to report about, or activities
planned, please e-mail us at marlene [at] nodeathpenalty.org.

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CONTENTS
- Reports and news about Tookie
- How to get involved
- Where to find more information

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REPORTS AND NEWS ABOUT TOOKIE

- LA TOWN HALL MEETING FOR STAN DRAWS 300 PEOPLE

>From Dana Blanchard: The Save Tookie committee in Los Angeles organized a
fantastic town hall meeting on November 15, at the Bethal AME Church in
South Central LA, which was attended by about 300 people. The meeting was
cosponsored by a lot of different groups, including the Campaign to End the
Death Penalty, the Nation of Islam, Death Penalty Focus and a variety of
groups working on gang intervention, including Venus 2000 and Community Call
to Action.
With only a week to build the Town Hall meeting we really tried to get
the word out. Barbara Becnel was scheduled to come down from the Bay Area to
speak, but she missed her flight, and we had her call in instead.
All the speakers talked about racism and the criminal injustice system,
not just Tookie's case. Minister Tony Mohammed spoke about how our country
was founded on slavery and racism. He said we have given clemency to our
country by working to change America for the better, and Tookie is part of
that redemptive process.
Vicki Lindsey from Project Cry No More, whose son was killed by gang
violence, spoke at the meeting and said she supported clemency for Tookie.
This is an important development, since many people still see Stan as the
leader of the Crips--we need to make sure people know that organizations
opposed to gang violence are speaking out to save him.
Other people spoke about the struggles of the 1960s and 70s, including
the Black Panthers and the government's attempts to silence them. All of the
speakers got thunderous ovations.
At least four people in the audience are key people in Tookie's
autobiography, and his ex-wife Bonnie has been coming to the planning
meetings, and spoke from the floor in the discussion. Overall, it was a huge
success.
We had our first Save Tookie committee meetings a week earlier, on
November 7 and November 8 in South LA. There were planning meetings, and we
divided into working groups. Both had about 40-50 people in attendance. Out
of the planning meetings, we scheduled a series of planned actions, press
conferences and the town hall meeting.

- MADISON, WIS., VIGIL FOR STAN

>From the Daily Cardinal: "Death penalty opponents gathered on Library Mall
Monday night for a candlelit vigil in support of Stanley "Tookie" Williams,
a co-founder of the Crips gang in California.
"While on death row, Williams published nine children's books about the
evils of gang life. He received the President's Call to Service Award and
has been nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize. Williams' execution
date is set for Dec. 13, 2005. Coalition Against Legal Lynching, a
UW-Madison student organization, hosted the vigil to support his cause.

Read the full story:
http://www.dailycardinal.com/article.php?storyid=1027694

- STATE ASSEMBLYMAN CALLS FOR CALIFORNIA MORATORIUM

California State Assemblyman Mark Leno wrote an op-ed article in the San
Francisco Chronicle calling for a moratorium on executions: "San Quentin's
execution chamber is gearing up for primetime. Barring any gubernatorial
pardons or last-minute reprieves, lethal injections could begin as early as
Dec. 13. That's the date chosen for the execution of 51-year-old Stanley
"Tookie" Williams, founder of the Crips street gang and Nobel Peace Prize
nominee for his redemptive efforts to steer kids away from violence. He
maintains his innocence in four 1979 gun deaths...
"It's fair to ask whether the death penalty helps at all, given the
growing evidence that it is applied unfairly and fails to deter crime. In
fact, states without the death penalty have a lower rate of homicide than
states with capital punishment, according to a New York Times survey from
2002. Additionally, capital cases cost millions more than keeping a killer
in prison for life without the possibility of parole. So for now, let's hold
off on executions and let the California Commission on the Fair
Administration of Justice do its work. If we don't, California could be the
next state apologizing for making the ultimate mistake.
Assemblyman Mark Leno represents the eastern half of San Francisco in the
California Legislature.

Read the full story:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/14/EDGQIF5H771.DTL&hw=t
ookie&sn=012&sc=229

- LETTER IN SUPPORT OF CLEMENCY FROM THE NATIONAL WRITERS UNION

>From Phil Gasper: At my suggestion, my chapter of the National Writers Union
sent a letter to Gov. Schwarzenegger calling for clemency for Stan. Other
union members should consider proposing resolutions in support of Stan.

- UNITED TEACHERS LOS ANGELES PASSES RESOLUTION FOR CLEMENCY

The United Teachers Los Angeles' House of Delegates passed a resolution
calling on Gov. Schwarzenegger to grant clemency to Tookie.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

- NOVEMBER 19 - San Quentin Prison
DON'T KILL TOOKIE: SAVE THE PEACEMAKER RALLY
Featuring Snoop Dogg, starting at 10 a.m. For more information, contact
Crystal Bybee at 510-333-7966, or e-mail crystal [at] nodeathpenalty.org.

- NOVEMBER 21 - San Fransico
Bay Area Anti-Death Penalty Coalition Weekly Meeting
Every Monday At 6:30 pm, 1663 Mission St., ACLU office, 4th floor

- NOVEMBER 22 - Los Angeles
Save Tookie Committee Regular Weekly Meeting
Every Tuesday at 7 pm at Bethel AME Church at 7900 S. Western Avenue.

- NOVEMBER 30 - Nationwide
NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION FOR STAN (please send your information)

Chicago - Press conference and protest at Republican National Headquarters,
32 W. Randolph

- DECEMBER 3 - Los Angeles
RALLY FOR CLEMENCY FOR TOOKIE
Leimert Park at noon. All the groups working in the Save Tookie committee in
Los Angeles are asking everyone to come out. For more information, call Dana
at 310-242-3813.

- DECEMBER 4 - San Francisco
Movie Screening of REDEMPTION
Hosted by Danny Glover. At 5 pm at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St. (next
to the 16th Street and Mission BART Station).

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WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION

Download a fact sheet about Stan's case:
http://www.savetookie.org/tookie_fact_sheet_10.18.05.pdf

Read the story of Stan's life in his book, Blue Rage, Black Redemption,
available for $22. To order, visit http://www.nodeathpenalty.org or call the
CEDP national office at 773-955-4841.

Do a showing of the movie Redemption, the TV movie about Stan's life,
starring Jamie Foxx. The movie is available at Blockbuster.

Check out the Save Tookie Web site:
http://www.savetookie.org/

And the Campaign to End the Death Penalty Web site:
http://www.nodeathpenalty.org/

Order copies of the New Abolitionist. This issue has stories by and about
Stan, as well as other information about fighting the death penalty. You can
get a bundle of 25 New Abs, shipped free of charge at a cost of $12.50. To
order, call the CEDP office at 773-235-0778. Yearly subscriptions are also
available.