Racial Protests, Possible Civil Rights Charges in Zimmerman Case
July 20, 2013
Demonstrators block traffic on a highway in Los Angeles.
From VOA Learning English, this is “In The News.”
Americans continue to react to the decision in the murder trial of George Zimmerman. Last week, a jury in the southern state of Florida found that he was not guilty in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
The unarmed teenager was killed last year in a struggle with the defendant. At the time, George Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch volunteer in his community in Florida. Trayvon Martin, an African American, was walking to the home of his father’s girlfriend at the time of the killing.
George Zimmerman is a white Hispanic man. He called police to report Trayvon Martin as a suspicious person in the neighborhood. He followed the teenager, although police told him not to. The two fought. Mr. Zimmerman says he acted in self-defense after he was attacked by the young man.
Under Florida law, people can use deadly force to fight back if they feel their lives are in danger.
Soon after the six woman jury reached its decision on Saturday, people used social media and public protests to express their opinion about the verdict.
“No justice. No peace. Trayvon! Justice for Trayvon!”
Many protests have been held across the United States since the trial. Hundreds of people demonstrated in Chicago, Illinois. They expressed opposition to what activist Dickey Gaines says was a predetermined verdict -- one reached before the trial.
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