FLORIDA - President Barak Obama has spoken out against racism in America. Speaking
directly to the family of Teyvor Martin, President Obama said, “If I had a son
he would have looked like Teyvor and it is the wish every parent’s that their
children are safe in America.”
Thousands of people incensed by the fatal shooting of an unarmed
black teenager by a white crime watch volunteer gathered to vent their anger
and demand justice at a rally in a Florida
town.
The vast crowd, which overwhelmed the town's Fort
Mellon Park,
asked for justice in the death of Trayvon Martin, a 17 year-old who was shot
dead by self-appointed watch captain George Zimmerman in a gated Florida community on
February 26. Zimmerman was in his car patrolling his neighbourhood on a rainy
evening when the boy walked past, then he called 911 to report that he had a
seen a suspicious person in the neighbourhood.
Against the advice of the 911 dispatcher, Zimmerman then followed Martin,
who was walking home from a convenience store with a bag of Skittles in his
pocket. Then got out of his car and pursued the boy and shot the 17-year-old with
his 9mm handgun. Zimmerman claims he killed Trayvon in self-defense during a
confrontation in a gated community in Sanford,
Fla.
Police have described Zimmerman as white; his family says he is Hispanic and
not racist. Many point to the incident as the latest example of the racial
profiling and unjust treatment of blacks by the country's criminal justice
system.
Witnesses who called in to police when they heard someone crying for help,
however, believe it was the boy who cried out — and that his pleas abruptly
stopped when a shot was fired.
This week more stories broke that Trayvon was talking to his girlfriend on
his cell phone just moments before he was shot, a claim that phone records
support.
The girlfriend said Trayvon told her someone was following him, and that she
told him to run. The boy said he thought he had lost the man. Trayvon’s last
words, according to her account, were, “Why are you following me?”
Then she said she heard a voice say, “What are you doing here?” A pushing
sound followed, the girl said, and she lost her connection.
The rally attracted a mostly African-American crowd who demanded the arrest
of Zimmerman who has neither been detained nor charged with any crime.
Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee, who has been criticized for failing to arrest
Zimmerman, announced just ahead of the rally that he was temporarily leaving
his post because he had become a "distraction."
The victim's father, Tracy Martin, demanded more action.
"The temporary step-down of Lee is nothing. We want an arrest. We want
a conviction and we want an arrest of the murderer of our son," he told
the crowd as it gathered in Sanford.
Officials at Sanford
sheriff's office said about 20,000 people came to the peaceful rally, which
featured Trayvon Martin's parents, African-American Civil Rights activist Al
Sharpton, and several black religious figures. Al Sharpton is expected to join Sanford city leaders in a
Tuesday evening town hall meeting to discuss with residents how the
investigation is being handled.
Earlier Monday, students held rallies on the campus of Florida
A&M University
in Tallahassee
and outside the Seminole County Criminal Justice Centre, where prosecutors are
reviewing the case to determine if charges should be filed.
The Federal Agency said it is sending its community relations service this
week to Sanford
to meet with authorities, community officials and civil rights leaders "to
address tension in the community."
Yet authorities may be hamstrung by a state law that allows people to defend
themselves with deadly force. Prosecutors may not be able to charge Zimmerman because of changes to state
law in 2005. Under the old law, people could use deadly force in self-defense
only if they had tried to run away or otherwise avoid the danger.
Under the new law, there is no duty to retreat and it gives a Floridian the
right "to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including
deadly force," if he feels threatened. "I don't think a man who
exited his vehicle after the 911 dispatcher told him to stay inside the car can
claim self-defense," Carl McPhail, a 28-year-old Barry University law
school student, said at the Sanford rally.
Martin's parents and other advocates have said the shooter would have been
arrested had he been black.
"You would think that Sanford
is still in the 1800s claiming that this man can call self-defense for shooting
an unarmed boy," restaurant owner Linda Tillman said.
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., along with members of the Congressional
Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, had asked the U.S.
Department of Justice to review the case, and White House spokesman Jay Carney
said earlier Monday during a briefing that officials there were aware of what
happened.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Trayvon Martin's family,"
Carney said at the time. "But obviously we're not going to wade into a
local law enforcement matter."
Gun control advocates said the case is emblematic of permissive gun laws in Florida, which was among
the first states to allow residents to carry concealed weapons. Florida was the first
state to pass a "Stand Your Ground" law, which has been dubbed a
"Shoot First" law by gun control advocates.
Currently, about half of all U.S.
states have similar laws, said Brian Malte, legislative director of the Brady
Campaign, which describes itself as the nation's largest organization dedicated
to the prevention of gun violence.
"It's coming to dangerous fruition," Malte said. "There are
more states like Florida."
The "Stand Your Ground" law's legislative sponsor, Florida Rep.
Dennis Baxley, said it wasn't written to give people the power to pursue and
confront others.
"That's not what this legislation does," said Baxley, a
Republican. "Unfortunately, every time there is an unfortunate incident
involving a firearm, they think it's about this law, and it's not."
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