Hundreds of people in the Tampa Bay area rallied this weekend wearing shirts, carrying signs and chanting, saying "We are Trayvon." Two rallies, one in St Petersburg and one in Tampa, were organized after last weeks not guilty verdict in the George Zimmerman trial in Sanford, where Zimmerman was charged with second degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Some in attendance were there to listen, some to lend support, and some to be heard.
On Friday a Unity and Justice rally was held in Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg under threatening skies. The tenor of the rally was peaceful as speakers challenged the multi-race audience of about 85 people to action. They suggested contacting their elected officials about the Florida Stand Your Ground law and educating themselves about public officials before getting out to vote. The event ended with a march to city hall in downtown St Petersburg.
On Saturday an estimated 400 people attended a Justice for Trayvon rally in front of the federal courthouse in downtown Tampa. Many of them expressed the same sentiment as the Friday rally, calling for a repeal of the Stand Your Ground law, federal action against George Zimmerman, and expressing a bond with the Martin family, some of whom were in attendance.
This article appears in Jul 18-24, 2013.
