Una manifestazione per chiedere la mortaoria delle esecuzioni in Texas si svolgera' il 15 ottobre a Austin, capitale dello stato, e si concludera' con un comizio davanti alla residenza del governatore e candidato repubblicano alla Casa Bianca George W. Bush. La Moratorium March, organizzata da una serie di gruppi che si battono per l'abolizione della pena capitale, dovrebbe richiamare circa 2000 persone. Per gli organizzatori ''sara' la piu' grande manifestazione contro la pena di morte mai avvenuta in Texas''. Per i gruppi abolizonisti, il Texas, stato che ha il record delle esecuzioni Usa, applica la pena di morte in maniera razzista, contro persone innocenti, membri delle minoranze e i malati di mente. ''C'e' qualcosa di sbagliato nella pena di morte in Texas. Io lo so, tu lo sai, e il 15 faremo si' che lo sappia anche Bush'', ha detto Lily Hughes, una delle organizzatrici.

Tex. Marchers Protest Death Penalty

Shouting ``George Bush, serial killer,'' hundreds of people marched around the governor's mansion on Sunday, calling on the Texas governor to issue a moratorium on the death penalty.

``People ask us 'What should we do with serial killers?''' shouted Marlene Martin, director of the Chicago-based Campaign to End the Death Penalty. ``We shouldn't put them in Washington.''

Since 1982, when Texas resumed carrying out executions, 232 people have been executed, including 145 people under Bush's more than 51/2 years in office.

Bush spokeswoman Linda Edwards said that as governor, Bush has very limited authority to declare a moratorium on executions.

``In Texas, there are many checks and balances ... to prevent an innocent person from being executed,'' Edwards said. ``Governor Bush took an oath to uphold the laws of Texas including the death penalty and he takes each and every death penalty case seriously.''

Bush, the Republican presidential nominee, has said he did not feel there is a need for a moratorium in Texas.

Bush was at the governor's mansion Sunday, preparing for Tuesday's presidential debate, but Edwards would not say if he was inside when the group of about 400 protesters were circling the mansion.

Many of the protesters carried signs that called on Texas to stop executing poor people, minorities and mentally ill and mentally retarded people.

``We feel like we really need to exploit this to make sure that everyone knows about the assembly line approach (Texas) takes to death penalty,'' said Bryan Hadley of Austin.

Not all the criticism was aimed at Bush, however.

``The only thing more stunning than Bush's hypocrisy is Al Gore (news - web sites)'s silence,'' Mike Crown of the International Socialist Organization of Austin told the crowd.