At Trayvon Martin Rallies Nationwide, Thousands Protest, Demand Justice (Photos)

Beyoncé, Jay Z, Rev. Al Sharpton, Among Thousands At Rallies Nationwide

In dozens of cities across the nation on Saturday, thousands showed up, braving sweltering heat and pouring rain to honor the memory of Trayvon Martin, and to protest the “not guilty” verdict of his killer, George Zimmerman.

In a larger sense, perhaps bolstered by their president’s words one day earlier, the mourners and activists, ordinary citizens and superstar performers, sent a message that America’s race problem isn’t over, isn’t resolved, and painfully, sometimes fatally, still exists.

In cities named New York, Chicago, Cincinnati, San Diego, Atlanta, Colombia, Buffalo, Miami, New Orleans, Atlanta, Roanoke, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Dallas,  San Francisco, and many others, people joined together in sorrow and steadfast support, saying, “We are all Trayvon Martin.”

WATCH: Obama: ‘Trayvon Martin Could Have Been Me 35 Years Ago’ (Full Text And Video)

“The events were largely peaceful, though those attending in many cities faced sweltering heat — with temperatures in some areas reaching into the 80s and 90s. In Dallas, news reports said about 25 demonstrators had been treated by medical personnel for heat-related problems. In Atlanta, storms also bedeviled protesters, leading to the cancellation of an evening rally in a suburb,” the New York Times reports:

Mr. Martin’s father, Tracy Martin, addressing dozens of people outside the federal courthouse in Miami, said, “I vowed to Trayvon when he was laying in his casket that I would use every ounce of energy in my body to seek justice for him.”

“I will continue to fight for Trayvon until the day I die,” he added. “Not only will I be fighting for Trayvon, I will be fighting for your child as well.”

Isabel Eugene, 16, who also attended the rally in Miami, said: “Before Trayvon Martin, we took precautions, but now it’s worse. It could have been my brother.”

The Times adds that “Mr. Sharpton then announced a plan to hold a protest in the capital in August to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.”
[View the story “Huge Crowds Show Up At Trayvon Martin Rallies Nationwide” on Storify]

Image, top, by Felicia Megan Gordon via Instagram

 

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