More than one thousand supporters unable to get into the Allen Chapel AME Church in Sanford Tuesday night and who want to see justice in the Trayvon Martin killing, marched peacefully to the city’s police station.
With about 350 supporters already packed into the small Chapel for an NAACP organized Town Hall meeting, the overflow crowd headed for the Sanford Police Department.
Many called for the arrest of George Zimmerman, the self-appointed neighborhood watch volunteer, who shot and killed Martin on February 26, as he walked in a gated Sanford community, after purchasing Skittles and an iced tea from a nearby convenience store.
“We will not stop marching until we get justice for the senseless killing of Trayon Martin, ” Gloria said. “This kid was unarmed, did nothing wrong and yet he was hunted and shot like an animal.”
Fueling the community’s outrage is the fact that Zimmerman, who has not yet been charged, continues to walk free. He has claimed self-defense in the shooting death of Martin.
Audio 911 tapes released on the night Trayvon was killed make clear that Zimmerman was pursuing Trayvon. A police dispatcher could be heard on Zimmerman’s 911 call telling him not to continue to pursue Martin. But Zimmerman did follow him anyway.
Sanford police have used Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law as the rationale for not arresting Zimmerman.
Seminole County State Attorney Norm Wolfinger said Tuesday morning that he would request a grand jury to investigate the Trayvon Martin shooting.
The grand jury is expected to be called into session on April 10, to review the case.
Meanwhile, the FBI announced plans to open an investigation into the fatal shooting. And the U.S. Justice Department will send a team to investigate and help calm tensions in the community.
Gov. Rick Scott has ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to provide whatever assistance is need to investigate the shooting.
But there are no signs that there will be any abatement of rising tensions anytime soon, and more rallies are planned.
Today, the Florida Civil Rights Association, civil rights attorneys and supporters will hold a march and rally outside the Florida Division Licensing Regional Office in Orlando, calling for the suspension of Zimmerman’s concealed weapons permit.
And on Thursday, the Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights activist and MSNBC Host of ‘Politics Nation’ will lead a rally at the First Shiloh Baptist Church in Sanford, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
An online petition calling for the arrest of Zimmerman, had gathered more than 700,000 signatures.
There are growing cries for an investigation into the Sanford Police Department’s handling of the Trayvon Martin killing.
