About – Abolitionist Action Committee

EVENT INFORMATION

June 29 to July 2 | Washington, DC

WHAT: For four days, death penalty abolitionists from around the country gather at the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC to call for an end to capital punishment through vigiling, tabling, teach-ins, flyering, and fasting. (Fasting is always optional and up to the individual about what works for them). It is an energizing week of training, advocacy, action, community, reflection and education.

Tens of thousands of tourists and locals, from all over the U.S. and throughout the world, pass by our vigil and table, so the opportunity for dialogue and discussion at a real grass-roots level is invaluable to the movement. Additionally, each evening we hear stories from murder victim family members, death row exonerees, death row families and leaders in the national abolition movement.

WHEN: The vigil runs daily from June 29 through July 2, approximately 8:30 am until 8:00 pm. Fasting starts at 12:01 am on June 29 and we break fast at midnight on July 2. Participants are invited to sleep out in front of the court on the night of July 1. Its perfectly legal and safe - and quite an experience to be had. To attend the full event, plan to arrive on June 28 by 9:30 pm, and depart anytime on July 3. View the full schedule for details.

WHERE: We vigil directly in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC on the public sidewalk. With much gratitude to co-sponsorship from the United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society next door to the Court, we also have access to air conditioned resting/work space as well as restrooms. The building is acccesible for people with disabilities.

WHO: The event open to anyone who is against the death penalty. Participants range from seasoned abolitionists with decades of experience to those brand new to the movement. All are welcome and have a place. During these course of the four days, usually around 75 activists from 25 different states join us, often with a core group of about 15 there consistently each day.

WHY: The purpose of event is maintain a presence at Supreme Court between the dates of anniversaries as death penalty was ruled unconstitutional in practice in 1972, and when new laws were upheld in 1976. Read more about the historic court rulings we gather around.

PARTICIPANT RULES AND ROLES: Please read the comprehensive participant information PDF document, which outlines everything you need to know about expectations for the vigil.

REGISTRATION: Thanks to the generous sponsors who support this event each year, the cost to participants is minimal. The suggested $20 registration fee helps us cover basic costs for the event, but we welcome additional donations to help offset our other expenses. Register here.

FOOD & MEALS: Once in DC, we will take care of all your liquids (since fasting is a part of the event for some participants) and will provide a free dinner to start and end the fast. If you are not fasting, meals off-site are your responsibility.

TRANSPORTATION: Need help getting to DC? Try fundraising to pay for your travel expenses. You can set up fundraisers through places like GoFundMe or Facebook. We also offer a "Sponsor a Faster" pledge sheet (PDF) so that you can approach people in person. If you need any assistance, we offer limited travel subsides. Contact us for more info.

THINKING ABOUT FASTING? Fasting is optional, and can also be whatever speaks to you (some people only consume liquids, some might just give up specific kinds of food/drinks or skip some meals, but not all). If doing a liquids-only fast, read our fasting PDF info sheet on tips and experiences.

HOUSING OPTIONS: There are several options available to you:

For participants on a limited budget, we have arranged for beds at the nearby Friends Place (515 East Capitol Street, SE - less than a 10 minute walk from the Court). Those who stay here will share a room with anywhere from 3 to 9 other Fast and Vigil participants, staying in bunk-bed style rooms, with a shared bathroom nearby. Usually the rooms are divided by gender, with an occasional mix-gendered room if needed. The cost is $50 per person, per night. We do fund raise to try to help cover as much of this cost as we can, so if you are not able to contribute the full amount (or any amount), let us know and we can try to provide assistance to those in need. Please indicate your need on the registration form. Also please note that the Friends Place is not ADA compliant. There are stairs to get into the building, and no elevator (sometimes are rooms are on the 3rd or 4th floors)
If you can only participate if your lodging is completely free, we can try to pair you up with local participants who have a guest room. Again, you can indicate this on your registration form.
If you prefer more private lodging, such as a hotel or AirBnB, you will be responsible for finding and paying for such housing. We can attempt to match people together who are open to sharing housing with others in order to help you keep costs down. You can also select this option on your registration form.
Some participants have personal contacts in DC and choose to stay with them of live in the DC area and choose to spend their nights at home. That is all perfectly acceptable. If you can help host a participant, let us know!

LEGAL AND POLICE INFO: The Abolitionist Action Committee enjoys cooperative relations with the Supreme Court Police. They know who we are and some of those among them who have been around for a few years have actually told us that they look forward to us coming. That said, there are regulations that must be followed. We always openly communicate in advance, and during the vigil, with the Supreme Court police and respect any restrictions they place on us due to ever evolving security issues at the court. Read more here.

EVENT INFORMATION

WHAT: A four day vigil maintaining a presence at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington DC. Many of the participants fast during this time, but fasting is not required. We encounter tens-of-thousands of visitors to the Court and share our message that no matter how you slice it, the death penalty is BAD PUBLIC POLICY. Much of the time is spent talking to individuals and creating visibility. Several larger events are held at key times during the event to highlight specific concerns, with a series of speakers each evening to educate, enlighten and entertain.

WHERE: We vigil directly in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC, right there on the public sidewalk. With much gratitude to co-sponsorship from the United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society next door to the Court, we also have access to air conditioned resting/work space as well as restrooms available to us 24/7.

WHO: The event is open to anyone who is against the death penalty. Participants range from seasoned abolitionists with decades of experience to those brand new to the movement. All are welcome and have a place. During the course of the four days, usually 75 activists from more than 20 different states join us, often with a core group of about 15 there consistently each day.

WHY: The purpose of this event is to maintain a presence at the Supreme Court between the dates of the anniversaries of when the death penalty was ruled unconstitutional in practice in 1972, and when new laws were upheld in 1976. Read more about the historic court rulings we gather around.

PARTICIPANT RULES AND ROLES: Please read the comprehensive participant information PDF document, which outlines everything you need to know about expectations for the vigil.

HOUSING OPTIONS: There are several options available to you:

For participants on a limited budget, we have arranged for beds at the nearby Friends Place (515 East Capitol Street, SE - less than a 10 minute walk from the Court). Those who stay here will share a room with anywhere from 3 to 9 other Fast and Vigil participants, staying in bunk-bed style rooms, with a shared bathroom nearby. Usually the rooms are divided by gender, with an occasional mix-gendered room if needed. The cost is $50 per person, per night. We do fund raise to try to help cover as much of this cost as we can, so if you are not able to contribute the full amount (or any amount), let us know and we can try to provide assistance to those in need. Please indicate your need on the registration form. Also please note that the Friends Place is not ADA compliant. There are stairs to get into the building, and no elevator (sometimes are rooms are on the 3rd or 4th floors)
If you can only participate if your lodging is completely free, we can try to pair you up with local participants who have a guest room. Again, you can indicate this on your registration form.
If you prefer more private lodging, such as a hotel or AirBnB, you will be responsible for finding and paying for such housing. We can attempt to match people together who are open to sharing housing with others in order to help you keep costs down. You can also select this option on your registration form.
Some participants have personal contacts in DC and choose to stay with them of live in the DC area and choose to spend their nights at home. That is all perfectly acceptable. If you can help host a participant, let us know!