<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0pPPLy_0vhwTo4a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0pPPLy_0vhwTo4a00" width="1662" height="1247" ><figcaption>Photo by Em Blackstone</figcaption></figure>On Monday, Sept. 23, protesters gathered in front of the United States Courthouse on the corner of John Q. Hammons Parkway and E. St. Louis Street in Springfield, Missouri, objecting to the execution of Marcellus Williams, 55, scheduled for today. Attendees assembled at 5:30 p.m. displaying picket signs and chanting “What do we want? To stop the execution. When do we want it? Now.” at passers-by. Williams is convicted of killing former newspaper reporter Felicia Gayle in 1998 but has maintained his innocence since first going to trial in 2001. Recently, the Missouri Supreme Court and Governor Mike Parson declined to stop his execution despite Prosecutors believing him innocent. Because of this, the case has garnered national attention. The protest was organized by the Springfield branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a political group advocating for a global shift from capitalism to socialism.Protest attendee Guinevere Goodwin has lived in the Springfield area her entire life. She began attending PSL events in 2019 but officially became a member of the PSL Springfield branch approximately seven months ago. She said she believes Williams has been wrongly convicted and carrying out this execution is a mistake. “To see that there's DNA evidence that proves that he didn't commit this crime and our governor is still moving forward with the death penalty, is just extremely cruel,” Goodwin said. “It's really concerning that we have a justice system that can't protect us.” For Guinevere Goodwin, this planned execution highlights themes of racial disparities in the implementation of the death penalty.“We see this kind of story repeat over and over again with Black America,” Goodwin said. “And to say that we're sick of it is just such an understatement. It's just really horrifying.”Goodwin said protesting is uncomfortable, but to protest for a worthy cause with others who feel just as strongly about it makes it worth it. “I think it's so encouraging to get to meet up with a group of people who feel just as passionate about it and are willing to make a sacrifice,” Goodwin said. “It's not comfortable coming out here and being laughed at by people that drive by. But I really appreciate that people find this cause worthy enough to meet up and hopefully just make a little bit of a difference here in Springfield.” One of the Springfield PSL organizers for events and protests is Lucy Mayfield, a senior communications major at Missouri State University, who has been a part of the PSL since 2020. “We are out here because at this point there's overwhelming evidence that Marcellus Williams did not commit the crime that he was convicted of, as well as the fact that the trial itself was mishandled from the beginning,” Mayfield said. “One of the key things that has been brought up is that there were a couple of jurors that were eliminated purely for being black. So that already throws up many red flags.” Protests on this issue will continue until the Missouri Supreme Court or Gov. Mike Parsons stops the execution, or the execution is carried out. “There will be protests in Jeff City that are happening, they start at one (p.m.), and I'm assuming they're gonna go until the last minute as well, just because his life is on the line,” Mayfield said. Marcellus Williams faces lethal injection at 6 p.m. CDT at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, a state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri. The protests that will take place in Jefferson City at 1 p.m. today are organized by a number of organizations including the PSL St. Louis branch. “Our ultimate goal, of course, is that Governor Parsons would show some moral character and would actually stop this execution, would have a heart and say, ‘Oh, I shouldn't kill an innocent man,’” Mayfield said. The protest by the PSL Springfield group lasted several hours, with members staying despite intermittent rain. This group, along with protesters expected in Jefferson City today, hope to alter the fate of Marcellus Williams.Follow Em Blackstone on Instagram, @emblackstoneSubscribe to The Standard's free weekly newsletter here.</div></body>

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Protesters gather in Springfield to oppose scheduled execution of Marcellus Williams

On Monday, Sept. 23, protesters gathered in front of the United States Courthouse on the corner of John Q. Hammons Parkway and E. St. Louis Street in Springfield, Missouri, objecting to the execution of Marcellus Williams, 55, scheduled for today. Attendees assembled at 5:30 p.m. displaying picket signs and chanting...