Supreme Court Protest: 14 People Arrested At Death Penalty Demonstration

WASHINGTON — Fourteen people have been arrested at the Supreme Court for protesting the resumption of the use of the death penalty in the United States.

Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg announced the arrests soon after the high court began hearing oral arguments on Tuesday. Those who were arrested will likely be charged with illegally demonstrating at the Supreme Court. Such activities are banned on the court's plaza looking out toward the U.S. Capitol.

The protests are timed to mark the year of the 35th anniversary of the execution of Gary Gilmore, who protesters said was the first person executed under the Supreme Court's upholding of the death penalty in 1976.

Protesters say there have been 1,277 more executions since then, with at least three more scheduled for this month.

Earlier on HuffPost:

Comments

[MrStat1]

01:20 PM on 01/17/2012

Why is this even news?

[iriemeditation]

12:25 PM on 01/17/2012

yes, instead of engaging them and opening a dialog and trying to find new ideas and fresh solutions ......................... let's just arrest them and shut them up! (this country is doomed with that kind of attitude! and it deserves to be!)

[ThinkFree111]

12:57 PM on 01/17/2012

Well if these same folks didn't come from a pro-death rally for abortion just prior to the pro life for murderers demonstration, I could have taken them more seriously.

[loudneighbor]

02:20 PM on 01/17/2012

Really?

[brianjgorman]

11:16 PM on 01/17/2012

That's absurd. I was there, and many of the people there are going to be back at the Supreme Court next week to vigil for the Roe v Wade decision. Consistently pro-life demands having a voice at all killing.

[ThinkFree111]

12:08 PM on 01/17/2012

Pro life for convicted felons. Pro death for innocent babies. Yeah, hypocracy reigns supreme.

[loudneighbor]

02:22 PM on 01/17/2012

It's a two way street my friend. Savin' fetuses and killing criminals ain't exactly consistent either.

[waterdragon8]

11:51 AM on 01/17/2012

Since it costs more to execute people than to incarcerate them, it makes fiscal sense. But more importantly if one innocent person is killed by the state it is murder.

[ThinkFree111]

12:09 PM on 01/17/2012

No we are talking about the death penalty not abortion. Innocent person is a subject for another thread.

[waterdragon8]

12:43 PM on 01/17/2012

Human error is simply a fact of human existence. Juries are humans, officers of the court are humans. Even if they excel at due dilligence, errors can still be made. Witnesses can lie. Have you never made a mistake? I would rather not take the chance of executing an innocent person. I would certainly not want to be imprisoned or killed for something I did not do. Would you? If an innocent person is incarcerated and the truth comes out, s/he can be freed. The dead are dead. Their loved ones cannot get them back just like the families of any murderd person.
In a way, it is abortion- abortion of a life already in progress.
Execution stops a beating heart. Thou shalt not kill. Not thou shalt not kill except... If indeed, vengence is the Lord's perview, I would not want to stand before Him with murder on my hands.
I would rather err on the side of compassion.
All life is precious, all beings deserve respect.