Fil-Am activists protest Zimmerman verdict

Posted: 16 Jul 2013 12:17 AM PDT Fil-Ams join the call for justice for Martin Trayvon and other peoples of color. (Contributed Photo) Los Angeles, CA — Filipino American activists joined nationwide protests when neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was cleared of all charges in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Martin, a black teenager, unarmed and walking to a store, was fatally shot by Zimmerman. The 17 year-old was shot while walking through the gated townhouse community where he was staying and where Zimmerman lived. This killing woke up many Americans of color across the U.S. over racism and injustice. Zimmerman could have been convicted of second-degree murder or manslaughter. The chosen jury was composed of six women, all white except one. The jurors’ names have not been made public, and they declined to speak to the news media. Anger, sadness and protests reached social media and US cities within minutes of the not-guilty verdict. “We are outraged by the blatant injustice of the Zimmerman verdict,” stated Eric Tandoc, secretary general of Anakbayan USA. The group joined a protest held at the corner of Crenshaw Blvd and Martin Luther King Blvd last week. “The verdict exposes the ongoing racism in American society that is embedded in the criminal justice system. While there is a culture of of impunity for political killings in the Philippines, there is a culture of impunity for violence against people of color in the US,” added Tandoc. Hundreds of thousands of Martin supporters have joined the online petition launched by National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the United States’ oldest and largest civil rights organization, to prosecute Zimmerman. “As Filipino-Americans and colored people, it is important to unite all exploited and oppressed people to fight against this worsening system of injustice in this country,” said Tandoc. Meanwhile, Martin’s family members gathered outside the courtroom yelled “No! No!” upon learning of the not-guilty verdict. The teen’s father, Tracy, reacted on Twitter: “Even though I am broken hearted my faith is unshattered. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE MY BABY TRAY.” Zimmerman’s defense attorneys said the case was classic “self-defense.” “We’re ecstatic with the results,” defense attorney Mark O’Mara said after the verdict. “George Zimmerman was never guilty of anything except protecting himself in self-defense.” On the other hand, prosecutors called Zimmerman a liar and portrayed him was a “wannabe cop” who had been frustrated by break-ins in his neighborhood committed primarily by young black men. There was no proof that Martin was up to no good while Zimmerman took the law into his own hands, prosecutors argued. Issuing a statement from New York, civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton called the not-guilty verdict “a slap in the face to the American people but it is only the first round in the pursuit of justice.” Meanwhile, Fred Hampton, Jr., chairman of the Prisoners Of Conscience Committee/Black Panther Party Cubs, said,”We need to see and have some honest discourse and authentic organizing. Not only to see the contradictions about race, but also about class. This case exposed the day-to-day injustices that black and oppressed people are subjected to. How people of color are portrayed in media and also who the state chooses to represent colored people. African American people are victims of America.” Protests continue amidst US Pres. Barack Obama’s call for sobriety. “I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son,” Obama said. ###