Local

Thousands Attend Rally for Trayvon Martin

July 20th, 2013

Thousands rallied in downtown Atlanta on Saturday for Florida shooting victim Trayvon Martin. The rally was one of a hundred planned across the country. Aleck Ragsdale reports.

Despite pouring rain, people stayed the street between the Richard B. Russell Federal Courthouse and the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Post Office.

The not guilty verdict frustrated many there, including 25-year-old Donald Jumper.

“It kind of brings home that America, despite being almost 40 or 50 years away from the Civil Rights movement, that we still have a long way to go. I feel that being out here for the cause to show my support, it’s the most important thing that I could be doing with my time right now”.

Along with frustration over the Zimmerman verdict, people were protesting the “Stand Your Ground” laws in Florida, Georgia, and many other states.

39-year-old Kia Edgar worries what Georgia’s “Stand Your Ground” law could mean for her family one day.

“It affected me greatly because I have a grandson that will be 17 and he will walk the streets and will come back from the store. And I don’t want anybody thinking that they can take his life and it will be OK”.

Edgar and others at the rally heard from several black community leaders and clergy members. Additional protests aren’t planned. Though, people at the rally were encouraged to register to vote, become more active in their community, and sign the NAACP’s petition to repeal “Stand Your Ground” laws.