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Thousands rally in DC for easier access to jobs; Sharpton blasts failure to pass jobs plan

Oct 15, 2011

WASHINGTON — Thousands of Americans led by the Rev. Al Sharpton rallied Saturday against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, calling for easier job access and decrying the gulf between rich and poor before marching to the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

The rally was intended to drum up support for President Barack Obama’s jobs plan, which died Tuesday in the U.S. Senate. But speakers used the platform for varied causes, including condemning state laws requiring voter identification at the polls and protesting the recent execution of Troy Davis, a Georgia man convicted of killing an off-duty police officer. Davis maintained his innocence until his death and attracted thousands of supporters worldwide even though courts repeatedly ruled there wasn’t enough evidence to exonerate him.

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