Demonstrators Moved North From Union Square Causing Gridlock In Manhattan
New York - Strong reaction has erupted in New York and across the country after a jury found George Zimmerman not guilty in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
A six-member, all-woman jury in Sanford, Fla., deliberated for more than 15 hours over two days before reaching their decision. They had been given the chance to convict Zimmerman of manslaughter but did not do so, despite asking for a clarification of the charge earlier in the evening.
After hearing the verdict, Judge Debra Nelson told Zimmerman he was free to go. However on Sunday the U.S. Justice Department did say that it would consider Civil Rights charges against Zimmerman.
As CBS 2's Tracee Carrasco reported,
protest rallies was planned for Sunday in Union Square, among other places, as people from both sides spoke out.
The protest in Union Square started shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday, by 7:30 p.m. that rally had ended but another began around 9 p.m. in Times Square. The Times Square protest caused traffic on 7th Ave to shut down between 42nd and 47th Street, but shortly before 10 p.m. some demonstrators had started making their way towards Harlem, while others began to return to Union Square.
By 11 p.m. the crowd was moving north along Park Ave and had made its way into the area around 79th and Park. By the time the march reached the Upper East Side several protestors had been arrested. At 11:30 p.m. the march was moving north and had made it as high as 107th street near 2nd Ave.
Another protest was also planned for 7 p.m. Monday at Hunts Point Plaza in the Bronx.
People also took to Union Square Saturday night to protest the not guilty verdict, and by Sunday afternoon hundreds had gathered in Newark, NJ to peacefully protest Zimmerman's acquittal as well, the Associated Press reported.
Organizers say the outdoor protest staged Sunday afternoon drew a diverse crowd unhappy with a Florida jury's decision to clear the former neighborhood watch volunteer in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Comment: Shoot an unarmed teenager, walk free. Fire a warning shot at someone who regularly beats you up and you have no other recourse to justice, get 20 years in jail. Only in America.