There were those who came out saddened by the murder of the 17-year-old teenager, civil rights activists inflamed by the details of this case, and those who will attend virtually anything - protests and parades alike. The event saw its fair share of the indigent, insolent, indolent, and indignant, along with others muttering to themselves, screaming inanities, on rants and diatribes, and even verbally hostile to police officers who maintained composure.
However, reading over the details of the Trayvon incident, it not only is a senseless tragedy but also does appear to be an incident which casts light on very serious issues of racism and justice. George Zimmerman, 28, a white Hispanic and crime watch volunteer in a gated community in Sanford, Florida, told police that he shot Trayvon in self-defense after an altercation. Martin was walking home from a convenience store, where he had purchased iced tea and Skittles. Apart from the fact that the boy was unarmed, the protestors are particularly enraged and outraged that Martin's killer, George Zimmerman, is still free and not charged. According to the New York Times:
Florida is among 21 states with a "Stand Your Ground Law," which gives people wide latitude to use deadly force rather than retreat during a fight. The self-defense law helps explain why a neighborhood watch captain has not been arrested in the shooting death of an unarmed teenager.
The Million Hoodie March for Trayvon Martin was hosted by Occupy Wall Street. Aside from the Trayvon Martin protest, numerous Occupy Wall Street agendas were addressed as well. Union Square was congested and pure pandemonium - massive police presence, vehicular traffic on one of Manhattan's busiest thoroughfares, a major subway station closed, protestors, activists (Reverend Billy was on hand), pamphleteers, skateboarders, shoppers, police cars and emergency vehicles, buses, and chess players, undaunted, as they typically are.
Until justice is served, I am sure that this is not the last outcry to be heard surrounding the tragic death of Trayvon Martin :(
More protests: General Malaise Part 2, Vigil, Eyes on the Signs, Free Laura and Euna, Unemployed, Fall Out Against the War, Picture New York
4 comments:
I just read an article about this in a Swedish newspaper. Horrible.
The parents of Trayvon were on The Anderson show(in NYC) today. What a terrible tragedy!
Thank you for this post. I have been signing every petition that comes along attempting to arrest the insane killer of this lost youth.
I need all the details before I make a decision on this. I don't think we know the whole story yet. It is very sad this young man lost his life. Both sides handled what happened incorrectly. And frankly, I don't think race has anything to do with it. And what kind of parents can even speak after losing their child. I will never understand that. If something happened to my child, they'd have to lock me away in an institution I would be so distraught. This was a tragedy and it can't be changed but something can be learned from it. And I would quote statistics but than I'd be called a racist. Facts are facts but no one wants to deal with facts.
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