x
Breaking News
More () »

Johnny Depp, Damien Echols in Little Rock to protest executions

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- The Rally to Stop the Arkansas Executions draws hundreds including actor Johnny Depp, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin to the Capitol Steps.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- The Rally to Stop the Arkansas Executions draws hundreds including actor Johnny Depp and former death row inmate Damien Echols to the Capitol Steps.

In addition to their remarks, Bishop Anthony Taylor of the Catholic Dioceses of Little Rock gave remarks urging Arkansas Governor to halt the executions of seven inmates in 10 days.

"I didn't want to come back," Echols admitted while spoke in front of the crowd, "but when I heard about the conveyor belt of death the politicians were trying to set in motion, I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't come back and try to do something."

Depp, who has stood by Echols every step of the way, said the state of Arkansas almost put Echols to death and he doesn't think "that possibility should ever happen again."

While Governor Asa Hutchinson was aware of the rally, he did not attend, but respected the viewpoint of those that gathered. However, according to J.R. Davis, the governor "more so respects the victims who have had to live with this for 20 to 25 years."

"This is the justice that was handed down, not by the governor, but by a jury of their peers," Davis said.

WATCH THE RALLY BELOW:

{"author_name":"THV11","author_url":"https://www.facebook.com/thv11/","provider_url":"https://www.facebook.com","provider_name":"Facebook","success":true,"height":281,"html":"&#lt;div id=\"fb-root\"&#gt;&#lt;/div&#gt;\n&#lt;script&#gt;(function(d, s, id) {\n var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n if (d.getElementById(id)) return;\n js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n js.src = \"//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3\";\n fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));&#lt;/script&#gt;&#lt;div class=\"fb-video\" data-href=\"https://www.facebook.com/thv11/videos/10155173479043554/\"&#gt;&#lt;blockquote cite=\"https://www.facebook.com/thv11/videos/10155173479043554/\" class=\"fb-xfbml-parse-ignore\"&#gt;&#lt;a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/thv11/videos/10155173479043554/\"&#gt;Rally to Stop the Arkansas Executions&#lt;/a&#gt;&#lt;p&#gt;LIVE-- Rally to Stop the Arkansas Executions draws hundreds including Actor Johnny Depp, Bishop Anthony Taylor, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin to the Capitol Steps.\n\nRead more about the states plan to execute 7 inmates in 10 days: http://on.kthv.com/2nCiTOo&#lt;/p&#gt;Posted by &#lt;a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/thv11/\"&#gt;THV11&#lt;/a&#gt; on Friday, April 14, 2017&#lt;/blockquote&#gt;&#lt;/div&#gt;","type":"video","version":"1.0","url":"https://www.facebook.com/thv11/videos/10155173479043554/","width":500}

State representative Vivian Flowers, who introduced a bill to ban capital punishment this legislative cycle, also spoke.

Before You Leave, Check This Out