On Tuesday there were protests in a number of U.S. cities, marking one year since the killing of Trayvon Martin, a 17 year-old African-American, in Sanford, Florida.
The Stop Mass Incarceration Network, which originally criticized the quick release of George Zimmerman after Martin’s death last year, issued a call to protest on the one year anniversary, stating: “Trayvon’s parents heroically stood up and called for justice for Trayvon, and in response people poured into the streets all across the country. This is the only reason Zimmerman was re-arrested and charged for his crime.”
The Network urged people to gather, wearing hoodies as a show of solidarity and remembrance: “We refuse to accept the bulls-eye that has been placed on the backs of Black and Latino youth; we must mark the murder of Trayvon by wearing hoodies, by gathering in appropriate places and demonstrating our defiance and our determination to refuse to accept this mistreatment.”
Speaking at a vigil in New York City Tuesday night, Trayvon Martin’s parents said, “As parents of a slain child, we never move on.” Vigils and gatherings were held in many other cities, including Los Angeles, New Haven, Greensboro, Oakland, and Sanford, Florida, where the killing took place.