TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – Thursday evening, dozens of protestors spoke out against the death penalty as another federal execution was scheduled in Terre Haute.
This is the eighth time since the summer that these types of demonstrations have been held.
“I hope people get the message that we don’t want anyone killed in our name, that we don’t want another human life to be sacrificed,” said Sister Barbara Battista, Sisters of Providence.
Demonstrations continued longer than some may have anticipated after a last-minute court filing did not allow the execution to happen at 6 p.m. Thursday, as scheduled.
“What bothers me is that we’re in the United States of America and there’s a holding pattern of will we or won’t we kill a human being whose sitting there waiting, it’s cruel and unusual,” said Ashley Kincaid-Eve, Indiana lawyer/anti-death penalty advocate.
Protestors say regardless of whether or not the execution happened as expected, their message remains the same.
“I do think it’s important to be here and say that I value life and I’m going to stand here and say not in my name. I don’t want my tax dollars ever going to procedures that end life,” Kincaid-Eve said.
“The system is flawed and broken and we stand here to say don’t kill for me, stop state violence,” Sister Battista said.
Some demonstrators say as they look forward, there is a bit more optimism on the future of the death penalty.
“We anticipate much more progress towards abolishing the death penalty at the federal level. Every state legislature has to deal with it on their own and the trend is more and more states are abolishing the death penalty,” Sister Battista said.
Battista says some protestors planned to remain present until witnesses were allowed to leave the prison grounds.
