Demonstrators (above and right) protest the not guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman at a rally for Trayvon Martin at Union Square in New York, yesterday.
SANFORD: Protests broke out early yesterday after a Florida jury found neighbourhood watchman George Zimmerman not guilty of murdering unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin in a racially charged trial that transfixed the nation.
The trial raised strong passions among those who believed that Zimmerman — whose father is white and whose mother is Peruvian — thought Martin was a criminal just because he was black, and those convinced that the volunteer watchman acted in self-defence.
Spontaneous protests broke out overnight in US cities including San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington and Atlanta. In Oakland, California, protesters smashed windows and spray painted cars, but most overnight demonstrations were peaceful — and closely watched by police.
Zimmerman, 29, had been accused of pursuing Martin, 17, through a gated community in Sanford, Florida, and shooting him during an altercation on a rainy night on February 26, 2012.
President Barack Obama appealed for calm saying: “We are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken.”
“I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son,” he said.
“The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America. I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher.”
He tied the killing of the teenager to the problems surrounding gun use in the United States, an issue on which the president tried but failed to push through new control measures earlier this year.
“We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis,” Obama said.
“We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that’s a job for all of us. That’s the way to honour Trayvon Martin.”
Florida police initially declined to press charges against Zimmerman, sparking mass protests in several US cities. He was eventually arrested in April 2012 and charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. The spectre of the deadly April 1992 riots in Los Angeles, which broke out after a similar racially-charged case, still lingers among law enforcement officials.
Fearing violence after the verdict, activists and community leaders appealed for calm. Police were out in force in Sanford, and the crowd of several hundred gathered outside the courthouse was loud at times but peaceful.
“Obviously, we are ecstatic with the results. George Zimmerman was never guilty of anything except protecting himself in self-defence,” said his lead attorney Mark O’Mara after the verdict.
Defense attorney Don West was even more blunt. “I think the prosecution of George Zimmerman was disgraceful,” he said. Defense lawyers insisted that Zimmerman acted in self-defense after Martin wrestled him to the ground and slammed his head on the pavement.
According to Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, people who fear for their lives can use deadly force to defend themselves without having to flee a confrontation. “Even though I am broken-hearted my faith is unshattered I WILL ALWAYS LOVE MY BABY TRAY,” Martin’s father Tracy wrote on Twitter.
Both he and Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton gave thanks for the outpouring of support they had received over the past year. Zimmerman’s older brother Robert also took to Twitter: “Message from Dad: ‘Our whole family is relieved.’ Today... I’m proud to be an American. God Bless America! Thank you for your prayers!” he wrote.
Community leaders called for calm after the verdict.
“There will be protests, but they must be carried out with dignity and discipline and let no act discredit the legacy of Trayvon Martin on the appeal of his family,” said civil rights leader Jesse Jackson. Activist Al Sharpton said on Facebook that Zimmerman’s acquittal was “a slap in the face to the American people,” and that he was convening “an emergency call with preachers (to) discuss next steps.”
The NAACP, the largest US civil rights group, urged supporters to sign a letter asking Attorney General Eric Holder to file civil charges against Zimmerman.
“The most fundamental of civil rights - the right to life - was violated the night George Zimmerman stalked and then took the life of Trayvon Martin,” read the NAACP letter. “We ask that the Department of Justice file civil rights charges against Mr. Zimmerman for this egregious violation.”
Prosecutors argued that Zimmerman, who pursued Martin against the advice of a police dispatcher, instigated the confrontation. The all-female jury had to reach a unanimous verdict to convict or acquit, and deliberated for more than 16 hours on the case after closing arguments Friday.
Zimmerman faced possible life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. The jury was also instructed to consider an alternate charge of manslaughter, which carries a sentence of up to 30 years. AFP
