Local activists to rally in downtown Phoenix over Zimmerman’s acquittal
Jul 14, 2013, 10:24 AM | Updated: 7:31 pm
PHOENIX – The acquittal of George Zimmerman in a Sanford, Fla. courthouse on Saturday has had a ripple effect across the nation and now a rally has been planned to be held Sunday evening in Phoenix.
Civil Rights Activist, the Reverend Jarrett Maupin and community leaders will rally together at 6:00pm tonight outside the Department of Justice offices in Downtown Phoenix.
“We will gather together to confront injustice in a non-violent way,” says Maupin.
When reached by KTAR, he elaborated on the decision to respond via rally.
“A lot of people are outraged and angry and they want to express that frustration and I feel the best means for us to do that is through non-violent civil disobedience.”
The Reverend is calling for peace at tonight’s rally, encouraging people to gather in a spirit of love and community.
“We must honor the martyred, including Trayvon, by continuing the long march towards racial equality and justice,” he says. “Non-violence is the means by which we hold the moral high-ground in this struggle. We can’t compromise the dignity of today’s civil right’s movement by engaging in violence and the evils of racism.”
Maupin says the objective of the rally is to get the Department of Justice to file federal charges against Zimmerman for violating Martin’s civil rights.
“I feel this is one of the most shocking miscarriages in recent American history. I feel that the jury got it wrong and I question the ability of the jury because it was predominantly right to see through some of the veneer put on the situation.”
“Trayvon was a victim of racial profiling. Before his life was robbed from him, he was targeted because of the color of his skin,” Maupin said.
