More protests planned in US
18 July 2013 6:20 PM GMT
Anger over the acquittal of a US neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager continued, with civil rights leaders saying mostly peaceful protests will continue this weekend with vigils in dozens of cities.
The justice department said it is looking into Trayvon Martin’s death to determine whether federal prosecutors will file criminal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman, who is now a free man. His lawyer has told ABC News Zimmerman will get his gun back and intends to arm himself again.
The key to filing civil rights charges against Zimmerman lies in whether evidence exists that he was motivated by racial animosity to kill Martin. Zimmerman’s parents, Gladys and Robert Zimmerman Sr, told ABC News their son isn’t racist and that they don’t know if their son will ever be able to return to a normal life.
President Barack Obama and numerous celebrities have expressed sorrow at the verdict. The civil rights leader Rev Al Sharpton said on Monday that his organization will hold vigils and rallies in 100 cities on Saturday in front of federal buildings.
A jury late Saturday found the 29-year-old Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder. Zimmerman has said he shot the 17-year-old in self-defense in a nighttime confrontation in his gated community in Sanford, Florida, where Martin was visiting family.
The February 2012 shooting drew national attention when Zimmerman wasn’t arrested for weeks, and the case has continued to raise questions over race and self-defense gun laws. Jurors were told that Zimmerman was allowed to use deadly force when he shot the teen not only if he actually faced death or bodily harm, but also if he merely thought he did.
The justice department said it is looking into Trayvon Martin’s death to determine whether federal prosecutors will file criminal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman, who is now a free man. His lawyer has told ABC News Zimmerman will get his gun back and intends to arm himself again.
The key to filing civil rights charges against Zimmerman lies in whether evidence exists that he was motivated by racial animosity to kill Martin. Zimmerman’s parents, Gladys and Robert Zimmerman Sr, told ABC News their son isn’t racist and that they don’t know if their son will ever be able to return to a normal life.
President Barack Obama and numerous celebrities have expressed sorrow at the verdict. The civil rights leader Rev Al Sharpton said on Monday that his organization will hold vigils and rallies in 100 cities on Saturday in front of federal buildings.
A jury late Saturday found the 29-year-old Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder. Zimmerman has said he shot the 17-year-old in self-defense in a nighttime confrontation in his gated community in Sanford, Florida, where Martin was visiting family.
The February 2012 shooting drew national attention when Zimmerman wasn’t arrested for weeks, and the case has continued to raise questions over race and self-defense gun laws. Jurors were told that Zimmerman was allowed to use deadly force when he shot the teen not only if he actually faced death or bodily harm, but also if he merely thought he did.
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