A group of Alabama faith, civil rights and community members – known as the “Faithful Seven” – was found not guilty on Monday, following their arrest in August for holding a vigil inside the Alabama state Capitol in support of health care and expanding Medicaid, a grassroots group reported. 
Montgomery County District Court Judge W. Troy Massey cleared the seven people, who had tried to hold a 24-hour, nonviolent moral vigil “to persuade Gov. Robert Bentley to extend Medicaid coverage and save the lives of Alabamians,” according to Save OurSelves (S.O.S.) Movement for Justice & Democracy.
Alabama is one of several states in the South where governors have opted to not expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The law provides such Medicaid coverage for adults making up to 133 percent of the poverty line. Last year, that was $25,975 for a family of three people.
Governors have cited cost and philosophical differences as reasons why they oppose the expansion. About 2.7 million low-income residents in the South lack health care because of the policy difference.
As a result, members of the faith community and advocates working to end poverty have held vigils to encourage governors to expand the health care coverage.
On Aug. 28, John Zippert, Augustus “Gus” Townes, Faya Rose Toure’, Alecha Irby, Rev. Fred Hammond, Rev. Kenneth Glasgow and Annie Pearl Avery conducted their vigil, which included prayer, in the building often called the “People’s House,” S.O.S. said in a statement.
“Not only was no damage done to property, no voices were even raised,” the group said.
The group learned from a witness for the prosecution that no Alabama resident has the right to hold a peaceful protest in the state Capitol, S.O.S. said. Attorneys for the group cited a state law that says that a person cannot be found guilty of trespassing if the individual has an “honest belief” that he or she has a right to be in a specific place.
In his decision to clear the group, Massey explained that the country has a long history of people standing up for principles greater than themselves, S.O.S. said. That includes the Boston Tea Party, Rosa Parks’ protest against bus segregation in the 1950s, rallies that led to the Voting Rights Act and the nonviolent movement inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.
“When you stand up for right, right will prevail,” Pearl said in a statement.
“This is a matter of life and death, and hope for life triumphed this day,” Hammond said.
Added Irby, who is a college student: “I am proud that as a young person I stood up, and I am proud that justice was done. More young people need to stand.”
S.O.S. released information saying that, on average, three people in Alabama die every two days because low-income residents are not covered by Medicaid.