Protesters were out in more than 100 US cities on July 20, venting their anger after George Zimmerman was cleared of murdering Trayvon Martin.
They demanded federal prosecutors bring civil rights charges against the former Florida neighbourhood watch leader who successfully argued he acted in self-defence after trailing the unarmed black teen, confronting him and then shooting him dead.
The Justice for Trayvon rallies were organised by civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network.
Participants carried signs asking: “Am I next?” with many wearing hoodies and carrying packets of Skittles, as the 17-year-old was when he was shot.
Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton told demonstrators in New York: “Today it was my son. Tomorrow it might be yours.”
Zimmerman followed the teen against the advice of a police phone operator. Many believe that Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, targeted Martin because he was black.
President Barack Obama appeared to back that view on July 19. He told a White House press conference: “Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago.”
Obama added that he had been racially profiled in the past.
But he played down the possibility that the Justice Department would file federal charges against Zimmerman, saying: “These are issues of state and local government.”
[Reprinted from the .]
