Schwarzenegger Removes Rights to Name From Graz!

Holy gazooks, Arnold fans! Listen to this shocking piece of information that has been forwarded to our attention:

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cut his honorary ties to his hometown in Austria, yesterday, after officials in Graz criticised him for denying clemency to a death row inmate. (See our article on Tookie).

Schwarzenegger demanded that the city stop using his name on the SK Sturm Graz & Grazer AK Football stadium, as well as in promotions. He is also said to have returned a 'ring of honour' that he had been awarded by city officials in 1999, saying politicians in his home town now appeared to have rejected him.

A petition drive had been launched in Graz to have the town rename a stadium that has been named after Schwarzenegger because the Austrian-born governor allowed the execution of death-row inmate Stanley Tookie Williams this month.

Williams, an ex-leader of the Crips gang who supporters said had redeemed himself by campaigning against gang violence, was executed by lethal injection on December 13 after Schwarzenegger and the courts rejected all of his appeals.

The city council of Graz had been due to rename the local stadium on January 19, according to Schwarzenegger's letter to Graz Mayor Siegfried Nagl.

"The reason for this action is apparently a decision I reached as governor of California," Schwarzenegger said. "I rejected the clemency of a rightfully convicted four-time murderer after thorough review, and as a result, he was executed according to the laws of this state."

"In all likelihood, during my term as governor I will have to make similar and equally difficult decisions," Schwarzenegger wrote. "In order to spare the responsible politicians of the city of Graz further concern, I withdraw from them as of this day the right to use my name in association with the Liebenauer Stadium."

Schwarzenegger, a former body building champion and Hollywood star, trained at the stadium as a young man. It was renamed in his honour in 1997.

He said he was returning the "ring of honour."

Since "the official Graz appears to no longer accept me as one of their own, this ring has lost its meaning and value to me," he said. "It is already in the mail."

Schwarzenegger said he still considered himself a native of Graz and an Austrian. "I look forward to visiting Graz again as soon as time allows," he said in the letter released by his office.

Global Arnold Staff

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