In pictures: Passions run high

The Gary Graham case is a sensitive issue for the Texas governor and Republican presidential hopeful, George Bush. It has received a huge amount of media coverage across America, and has become a rallying point for anti-death-penalty activists.

Graham's daughter Deidra Hawkins was led away after hearing he was to die

Graham's stepmother Elnora Graham devastated by the decision to execute

Security around Huntsville prison was tight

The New Black Panther party tried to get into a secure area at the prison

Bianca Jagger and Reverend Jesse Jackson visited Graham on Thursday

La Shaun Ellis leads a protest against the execution in New York

A supporter of the death penalty greets a Ku Klux Klan member outside the jail