The final day of the Alternative Spring Break was "Direct Action Day." We started it with a workshop led by Abe Bonowitz, director of Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Abe covered some of the basics of "what constitutes direct action," and shared many of the points made in the "Direct Action Training Manual" that can be found at www.RUCKUS.org. Then he shared a slide show featuring many different examples of direct action, and more to the point, methods of effectively creating visibility for our movement. Following a short break, the group then engaged in a planning process to develop an "action" for later that day. Originally the plan was to protest the execution of Pablo Melendez Jr., a Texas prisoner with strong evidence that he may be an innocent man. Melendez had received a Stay. The group decided it would be good to "celebrate" that victory, and also to applaud the action taken the previous day by Texas Governor Rick Perry to establish a study commission to examine the (criminal justice) legal system in that state. See the press release below. After brainstorming on "messages" and how we might make the action more effective, it was decided to gather, as previously planned, at the Governor's mansion, but then to march to more populated areas nearby to draw attention to the issue and to pass out an "action" flier - the green paper you see people holding in some of the photos below. On one side was the Associated Press article about the Governor's action, and on the other side was a request that people call Governor Perry to applaud his action to establish the committee and to STOP EXECUTIONS until the work of the committee is complete. The march was very well received, especially by people gathered (for the South by Southwest film festival) in front of the big movie theater on Congress Avenue. We ended the march on the front side of the Texas Governor's mansion, this time posing for a group photo with members of the Austin chapter of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, who had been participating throughout the week. Some of us went for dinner at a local restaurant before parting ways, and that was the end of the 2005 Alternative Spring Break! Here is the press release written and issued by the students: P R E S S R E L E A S E from ANTI-DEATH PENALTY ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK IN AUSTIN EDITORS: GOOD PHOTO OP! 16 March 2005 CONTACT: Vanessa Andrade, Gaby Hernandez: 210-xxx-xxxx, 210-xxx-xxxx STUDENTS APPLAUD GOVERNOR'S ACTION Planned Protest at Governor's Mansion Becomes Celebration WHO: Students from across Texas WHAT: Celebration of Governor's action on Death Penalty WHEN: THIS EVENING AT 5:30 PM WHERE: LAVACA STREET SIDE OF TEXAS GOVERNOR'S MANSION High School and college Students from all over Texas and other states will be gathered at the Governor's Mansion at 5:30 today to support Governor Perry's call for the creation of a Criminal Justice Advisory Council to study issues related to Texas' Death Penalty laws. The students had planned to protest the execution of Pablo Melendez, however, with that execution stayed, the protest has turned into a victory celebration. "Yesterday Governor Perry finally agreed with us that the system is not perfect and that we shouldn't be afraid to ask questions and make changes that will lead to the creation of a more fair and accurate legal system," said Gaby Hernandez, a spokesperson for the group. The students and other activists have been participating in a weeklong Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break sponsored by the Texas Moratorium Network. Instead of going to the beach, they have been spending their break engaged in workshops and coordinating direct actions against the death penalty. "We were planning to protest an execution today," said Hernandez, "but today at the Governor's Mansion we will applaud the Governor's action, and celebrate the fact that the people of Texas will not be killing anyone this evening." #30#