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Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Protesters hold cans of ice tea and Skittles which is what the 17-year-old Trayvon Martin is reported to have been carrying when he was killed by neighborhood watch person, George Zimmerman.
Updated at 8:09 a.m. ET: The death of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed 17-year-old shot earlier this month by a neighborhood watch volunteer, has prompted a protest aimed at the police department that initially investigated the case. The weapon: Skittles.
A campaign mounted through Facebook and Twitter is asking people to mail packages of the candy to Bill Lee, police chief of the Sanford Police Department, which released the man who shot Martin after questioning. The campaign has been touted at the DailyKos.com and theurbandaily.com.
They’ve chosen Skittles because that’s what Martin was carrying when George Zimmerman, 28, spotted Martin, a black teen who was walking home from a convenience store at night in a gated community. Zimmerman told police he shot Martin in self-defense after a confrontation.
Mom: Trayvon Martin was killed because of 'the color of his skin'
The Sanford City Commission passed a vote of "no confidence" in police Chief Bill Lee Wednesday night over his handling of the Trayvon Martin shooting. Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators assembled a "Million Hoodie March" in New York City to call for the arrest of Martin's killer. NBC's Lilia Luciano reports.
Martin’s death set off protests around the United States from people demanding that Zimmerman’s actions be investigated. More than 818,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org, a social action website, calling for his arrest, Reuters reported.
At a rally Wednesday evening in New York attended by Martin's parents, protesters held signs decorated with Skittles.
PhotoBlog: Showing support for Trayvon Martin
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Skittles said: "We are deeply saddened by the news of Trayvon Martin's death and express our sincere condolences to his family and friends. We also respect their privacy and feel it inappropriate to get involved or comment further as we would never wish for our actions to be perceived as an attempt of commercial gain following this tragedy.”
Savannah Guthrie, TODAY's legal correspondent, and Star Jones, a former prosecutor, discuss whether public outrage over the Trayvon Martin shooting will lead to the arrest of his killer, neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.
Neighbor defends Trayvon Martin's shooter: 'No Rambo'
Responding to the outcry, the Florida state attorney announced Tuesday that a grand jury would investigate the teen’s death.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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I'm not up to date with all the states gun laws, but in mine, YOU HAVE TO MAKE A REASONABLE ATTEMPT TO FLEE THE DANGER AREA BEFORE PULLING THE TRIGGER.
This guy didn't flee. He egged it on and escallated it. After being told by 911 not to follow or confront this kid, he played John Wayne.
If this guy goes to jail, there will plenty of guys doing a John Wayne on his @$$ !
"A true man, who is without fault, is not obliged to fly from an assailant, who by violence or surprise, maliciously seeks to take his life or do him enormous bodily harm." ~ U.S. Supreme Court, 1895
My BUST Zanglel I got caught up in all the Ignorance and became Ignorant and swung at the wrong person!!! I pulled a Zimmerman....
This guy isn't a Racist, just like "Enhanced Interrogation" isn't torture!
Unfortunately, I think the shooter will get away with it. Some bigwig NRA attorney will defend him and he will get away with it. I DO feel that people have a right to defend themselves in their own homes and neighborhood, and if someone was breaking into my home, if I were armed, I would use it if I had to, but this guy was clearly itching to pull the trigger on someone to be the hero.
The police say that they have some forty something 911 calls from him while on 'patrol' of the neighborhood. He clearly became the stalker in this case. He was NOT defending his home from a home invasion so I don't see how this law wuold protect him. If it does, it will send the wrong message.
He called 911 and was told NOT to follow the guy. He should have left it to the police. There was NO immediate threat, accept to Trayvor from this trigger happy lunatic.
Ths is a typical case of racial profiling.
A white man was not arrested after he gunned down a black youth. If the situation was reversed, the gunman would be brutally treated and locked up in jail.
Perfectly said.
Or lynched.
Where is Zimmerman now and where is Zimmermans gun now?
Fact : A young-man is killed
Fact : He is Black
Fact :A mad man is out there with no life what so ever looking for somebody someone to Avenge.
if you are a 200 pound 28 yr old man in a truck with police training and you feel threatened by a teen aged 130 lb boy then you seriously have a problem
The death of this young man is truly tragic if the current facts can be believed, but this "Skittles" rebellion is just plain STUPID!
Try focusing on getting rid of profiling, discrimination keeping people from randomly getting killed in the US and you will be more influential on making the US a better place to live. This Skittles thing is a knee jerk reaction, by some apparently well meaning but misguided people!
the stand your ground law was not designed for every wanna-be cop to run around chasing people and shooting them. its quite clear. this "wanna-be" cop was told by the 911 dispatcher to leave the kid alone and not pursue him... guess what, the dispatcher probably knows what they are talking about! not only are they trying to keep the situation under control and calm, they are trying to keep everyone safe and out of trouble. zimmerman was not trained to handle the situation. the police are. and why the police weren't inclined to arrest zimmerman after this half-baked story is beyond me.
skittles revolt? Really? come on people, can we please not make a mockery of this tragic situation. A young child dies (senselessly) and the best that we can come up with is a skittles revolt? Well, the good people at Mars candy will appreciate your patronage. Because THEY will be the ONLY winner in this horrible incident. Skittles revolt? We CAN do better.
I think that in the light of the riots behind the Rodney King and Malice Green murders that the Skittles nonviolent approach is unique and in it's symbolic originality something that just might gain a little momentum and spread across the nation. Imagine if the Sanford Police were swamped with TONS of Skittles from across the nation and world. It would send a message that people care about injustice. Maybe it isn't Watts 1965, but this isn't 1965 either, and I truly believe that this injustice could escalate into Civil Unrest if not corrected.
Someone is trying to diffuse what could be costly to Sanford FL, and the nation.
Kudos.
Nectarine Records Inc
Right on! I would like to meet the person who thought about the Skittles idea. That was good thinking. You are correct. This could escalate into civil unrest. The people who are sending the Skittles are trying to diffuse the situation.
I am a white, older woman, from the South, who remembers Watts well. The American people need to quit thinking about color, race, religion or origin when they have an encounter with another person.
Get to know the person. Is he a racist? Just stay away from him. And if you are forced to be around him because he is a neighbor or a co-worker, just be polite. Ignore the people who are prejudiced in this world, if you can. I have seen situations where people need to complain. They need to take action.
I get to know a person very well before they become a friend. I have lost a lot of friends because of my beliefs. And yes, some friends have been African American. Some have told me that they are not prejudiced toward me because I am different. They are just prejudiced toward other people. Well, I tell them, I do not want to be around prejudiced people. I can be an acquaintance but not a true friend.
However, I do not miss one of those people. I would rather be around people who look at people with an open mind. And then they ask, does this person have character? How do they treat me? How do they treat their fellow man?
My parents always raised my siblings and myself to look at each person individually and determine how that person treats us. People have shown prejudice toward me because of my religion and because of my Southern heritage. My parents experienced it more than I have and they knew that the way people are treated needed changing.
Unfortunately, after all this time, we have people who are still prejudiced in some way. I am just praying that the next generation will be different. I watch teenagers and people in their twenties and I think I see differences. I hope so because I think, despite all the country's other problems, the crux of all problems in the United States, is prejudice toward our fellow man.
We recently had a theft at our house when we weren't home. We live in Florida. After reporting it to the police and having an officer visit our house to take the report, check for fingerprints and other evidence, we had a conversation with that officer about home protection. We already have an alarm system (the theft was items from a car left locked in the driveway during the night - the car alarm was not tripped) and the officer suggested cameras and motion detection lights. We also discussed weapons. As southerners, we have quite a few weapons which we use most often for target shooting. We are well aware of the "Stand Your Ground" rule, yet the officer said that if we were to ever use a weapon against an intruder, the intruder must be inside the house and also it would "not look good" if the intruder were shot in the back, as that would indicate they were fleeing. So, to see all this confusion about what happened in Sanford, it doesn't exactly jive with the way our local police are understanding "Stand Your Ground". If you remove the personalities from the Sanford situation and look at it clinically, there is no way you can reach a conclusion other than that Zimmerman is unable to use the "Stand Your Ground" law to defend his actions.
I say we mail Skittles to Zimmerman. This man doesn't seems remorseful, one would think that even if you felt your life was in danger, once finding out that all this young man had was a bag of Skittles and ice tea you would be full of guilt. Not only has this man taken a life he has made racism stronger creating more hate amongst ourselves. I love the ideas that this country was founded on but hate what it has become. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Together we stand, divided we fall."
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
youaretrayvonmartin.com
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
youaretrayvonmartin.com
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
youaretrayvonmartin.com
I will be adding a photo tomorrow with myself and my 4 year old son. Thank you for the link.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
youaretrayvonmartin.com
What "ignorant fool" came up with this plan?
I'm sorry folks, but "sending Skittles to the Police Chief is as useless as it gets and succeed in supplying the Chief and his "brain-dead cohorts and their friends and families and neighbors" FREE candy at YOUR expense?
Of all the ways to protest, "spend your money on Travon's family or his school or his Football team or anything worthwhile", but the "Skittle thing?" helps no one.
S.T.U.P.I.D.
I don't like guns, but that's just me. I have no problem with people who are trained, and feel comfortable with guns, to have them. But, there are too many nuts out there that have them. This guy is one of them. Lock him up. Don't hate me for feeling this way.
Boycot Florida until that "Stand your ground" law is repealed!!!!
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
WWW.youaretrayvonmartin.com
Is this the place to join a movement to protest black violence and black crime. In Florida we are kinda short on white crime.
http://www.cfcrimeline.com/most_recent.htm
Short on white crime in Florida ?? I suggest you turn your computer in to the internet trolling lie police.
Orlando: TD Bank Robbery
Date: February 13, 2012
Location: 2859 Delaney Ave
Time: 12:08 pm
The suspect entered the bank and passed a note to the teller demanding cash and implied that he had a weapon. The suspect fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash in a northbound direction from the bank.
The suspect is described as a white male with a thin build. He is described as being 5 feet 11 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a black baseball cap with sunshades on top of the cap and wearing a black sweatshirt.
Orange: Verizon Wireless Robbery
Date: February 13, 2012
Location: 4020 N. Goldenrod Rd
On February 13, 2012, at approximately 19:54 hours, the above pictured suspects committed a Robbery with a Firearm to the Verizon Wireless, located at 4020 N Goldenrod Rd. The suspects implied they were armed with a handgun and demanded money and cell phones from the employee. The suspects fled on foot (no vehicles were observed).
Suspect Descriptions:
Both suspects were White/Hispanic Male, 20-25 yrs old, approximately 5’07” – 5’09”, slim build, light colored eyes, black hooded sweatshirt
Kissimmee: Walmart, Armed Robbery
Date: January 12, 2012
Location: 4444 West Vine Street
On January 12, 2012, the male pictured below entered the WalMart located at 4444 West Vine Street in Kissimmee, and proceeded to the electronics department where he attempted to take several display laptops unsuccessfully.
The suspect then concealed two computer monitors in a grocery cart and proceeded to the garden center where threw the two monitors out of the screen roof of the garden center. When approached by an employee of WalMart, the suspect lifted his shirt and displayed a black handgun in his waistband. The suspect then jumped the fence of the garden center and fled in the pictured vehicle (unknown make and model). The WalMart employee was not injured during the incident.
Orlando: TD Bank Robbery
Date: December 26, 2011
Time: 2:37 pm
Location: 2859 S Delaney Ave (TD Bank)
The suspect entered the TD Bank and handed the teller a note demanding money. The note also stated that the suspect had a gun; however, no gun was seen. The suspect left the bank on foot with an undisclosed amount of money, in an unknown direction.
The suspect is described as a white male 5 feet 7 inches tall, slim build with dark eyes. He was wearing a blue shirt and had a bandana over his head.
Brevard: CVS Robbery
Date: November 28, 2011
Location: 1185 Fay Boulevard
At approximately 4:17 p. m. at the CVS Pharmacy located at 1185 Fay Boulevard, Port St. John an unidentified white male entered the CVS Pharmacy and demanded the pharmacist give him Methadone and Oxycodone. The suspect displayed a small knife and told the pharmacist to give him the pills or someone would get hurt. The pharmacist gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of the pills he demanded and the suspect took the pills and ran out the front door of the business.
The suspect is described as a white male, 5’09” to 6’00”, medium build, wearing blue jean pants, an orange shirt and orange sock-type cap. It is believed the suspect fled on foot from the CVS Pharmacy.
the child was not armed , nor did he have anyones property on him ; i will look at this case with common sense , '' not bigotry ''. where i live , no one can gun down a child because they think he stole something , '' AND GOT AWAY WITH IT ALL THE TIME ''.
Child?
MENTALITY MATTERS SON ; if you ''had'' kids , you'd understand.
The age of adulthood in the United States of America is 18, anyone below that age is a child.
All of you experts from other states stay out of here. You have a completely incorrect perception of Florida law enforcement. The cops here never arrest until they have the facts.
There are several black witnesses who saw this incident. None of them are supporting the Skittles kid. What the witnesses are saying is that the suspect was beating the daylights out of the NWC with his can of tea. The NWC had grass stains all over his back and was bleeding profusely when the police got there. Many of the Sanford PD are black. So lighten up, wait a bit and ponder.
Does the name Tawana Brawley mean anything to you?
BTW our crime rate went down another 40% last year. You can see us on cops any evening. This is a very polite State since SYG
That is completely untrue. NO black witnesses saw this incident. Stop planting misinformation.
LOL Is this fool David,Tampa actually pulling the Tawana Brawley card? Should we all name the 10's (more like thousands but we won't go back in time like David) of white women, and men, who have claimed 'the black man did it' only to be found guilty of killing their own children, wives, mothers?! David, I think that poisonous suntan lotion has seeped into your underdeveloped brain.
Idiot.
the police never interveiwed anyone.not even the shooter. mr z said self defense and that was it. a person can follow a kid who had done nothing. murder him and claim self defense.i don't like that law.mr.martin's only crime was walking and being black. police kill black men often for walking and being black.
See ya'll next week when this mess is sorted out and we will see what all of you brilliant legal minds have to offer up.
See you when the Feds charge Zimmerman with ethnic intimidation and violation of Trayvon's civil rights based on his comments about Trayvon being a $%*# coon, then a physical attack shortly after.
Some group of Black elites are using this child's unfortunate death to build a personal power base.
I wonder if the media will dare do a piece on that part of the tragedy..?
No they are not. But you are describing what NANCY GRACE built her entire media career on.
But she's a white female. I guess it's acceptable in your eyes.
Grace, Sharpton and Jackson are all part of the problem
Only with people who believe that they are superior to people of color.
Those people are the true problem.
Grand standing racism just keeps it alive. I do not support efforts that keep some in the media millionaires because they feed off the assumption that every bad thing that happens to people of color is because of racism. It is just not true. Is their racism? Yes, and blacks are just as guilty as whites.
Greetings all African American Males, let this be a wake up call for us to do the following: Educate ourselves and always strive to be role models for our sons and daughters, love and care for our wives and significant others and always respect them, NEVER demean each other and ALWAYS obey the law. The fact that we are Black is the only reason we are treated differently and SOCIETY has known this for YEARS, so let's not pretend this is something new. The white man hates himself and thus can NEVER love any one else and until a man is able to love himself and his own skin, he can NEVER love others. Zimmerman and those like him from all races live in a HELL that consumes them because they are so filled with self-hatred but TRUST me my fellow African American Brothers, JUSTICE for MARTIN will come fast and swift, freight not, worry not but stand strong and ALWAYS PRAY from my lips to God's Ear. Be still and patient Lovely Black People, God will grant us ALL True Justice.
Your comments are racist... and thus so are you.
Mirror mirror on the wall......
No. To say the white man is angry is just racist, pure and simple.
To say anything negative about " the white man " is racist to you.
Every man, white , black, brown, has flaws. If you can't accept it and truly believe that your skin color makes you without flaw IS racist.
Anyone who says that all white or black people are incapable of loving and are full of hate is a racist. Does not matter what my skin color is.
We all have flaws but that is not what he said. His post is clearly racist
None of us know what happened because we were not there but to make this grand assumption that this person was killed because he is black is just irresponsible. Because the news is so liberal this is a perfect opportunity for the press to make even more money by grand standing and making judgements based on assumption and not facts. And to make it all much worse, the people that make money in the racism business like Sharpton and Jackson immediately cry racism because "it just must be."
I'll wait for the facts to come out and then make a decision.
Zimmerman had no legal right to exit his vehicle and engage Trayvon unless he saw Trayvon IN THE COMMISSION OF A CRIME.
Clearly that is not the case, and Zimmerman instigated the contact, and carried a weapon against Neighborhood Watch policy, now making the entire community legally liable for Trayvon's death.
Their homeowner fees will rise to an astronomical level after the lawsuit.
As of this moment, there is no clarity. Hopefully with a proper investigation we will get some. But crying racism this early without all the facts is irresponsible.
I never thought that in 2012 there are laws supporting lynching. Florida's laws allowing gun possession and standing your ground in a confrontation, simply lets a lyncher off scott free.