BY MAGGIE PUCCI
BALTIMORE - Two crowds gathered on a Baltimore street near the Maryland Penitentiary - called "Supermax"- on the night of July 1 as the execution of Flint Gregory Hunt drew near. On one end of the block in front of the castle-like prison were people protesting the execution, including Hunt's sister and niece, activists against the death penalty, and area residents. At the other end of the block were those gathered to cheer the execution, including members of the family of the Baltimore cop Hunt was convicted of killing and several city police officers.

Hunt was the 82nd man to be executed in Maryland history. Sixty-three of these prisoners were Black, as are 13 of the 16 inmates currently on death row in Maryland.

A series of rallies and vigils opposing the pending execution and death penalty began June 28. A midday rally of about 100 people protested that day, and nightly vigils began the next night.

The biggest crowd by far gathered on July 1, as word filtered out that this was to be the night of the execution. By 11:30 p.m. the crowd had swelled to about 250. A large percentage of the people were students and other youth. One young Black woman held a sign that read "Death Penalty Unfair to African-Americans." Another sign read "Mother of Murder Victim Against the Death Penalty."

A loud and angry picket line marched for hours, chanting "Hey hey, ho ho, the death penalty has got to go." Prisoners inside the penitentiary also got in on the action, shouting, "They say death row," to which protesters responded, "We say hell no!" The inmates gave many words of encouragement to the crowd below, telling protesters, "What you're doing down there is really important," and "Let the world know they're about to kill another Black man!"

The group of protesters stayed on the street until 1:30 a.m., an hour after the execution, many discussing what to do next to fight capital punishment. One woman encouraged those present to not vote for Maryland governor Parris Glendening as a way to struggle against the death penalty. Others called for more protest actions. Upcoming events in Philadelphia to demand a new trial for death row prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal were announced.

Supporters of Socialist Workers candidate Mary Martin for Washington, D.C. Council Chair distributed a statement urging working people and youth to oppose Washington mayor Marion Barry's bill to reinstate the death penalty there for anyone convicted of killing a public safety worker, including cops, firefighters, and probation officers.  
 
 
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