Hundreds Pass on Letters During Trayvon Martin March Downtown

Protesters gather at Pershing Square at 4 p.m. and march to City Hall at 6 p.m.

Organizers for a march Monday evening in downtown Los Angeles seeking justice for Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old fatally shot in Florida by a neighborhood watch captain, said they gathered to protest all injustices.

"I've had to add names to this list, and it's just heartbreaking," said organizer Zsanae Davis, 32.

Davis referred to the 28-year-old father who was killed after shielding his son from gunfire in front of their Inglewood home last week as part of the impetus behind the gathering, sparked by the Martin case.

"The opposite of hate is love," Davis said. "So if you address that issue from the beginning, we don’t have to keep reacting to the gun violence."

Monday's demonstration hoped to connect the City of Angels to the nation's capital through a nationwide campaign.

Demonstrators delivered letters to City Hall demanding justice for Trayvon and asking for changes to the controversial Stand Your Ground Law, which allows deadly force in cases where the person feels threatened.

Those messages were given to a representative of California Congresswoman Karen Bass' office, which will then deliver the letters to Attorney General Eric Holder.

The city’s second major rally drew some notable names. Actor Oba Babatunde said he was not there as a celebrity, but rather as a concerned citizen.

"What we’re dealing with is that people are being taken off the planet for unjust reasons," Babatunde said.

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The Martin case has sparked marches and rallies nationwide, as activists argue that Martin's death was a result of discrimination against him as an African American.

Marchers gathered at 4 p.m. at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles, and began walking to City Hall around 6:15 p.m. along the route shown below.

A rally on the west side of City Hall at First and Spring streets was planned for after the march, according to the ANSWER Los Angeles Coalition.

The streets along the route were closed to traffic during the march, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Monday's march is the second in downtown Los Angeles supported by Million Hoodie March LA, the Los Angeles partner of a nationwide movement spotlighting the Martin case.

The first drew more than 2,000 protesters.

Other demonstrations have sprung up all over Los Angeles, including those in Leimert Park and Santa Monica.

More protests are in the works, though details have yet to be released, said Davis, a photographer by trade.

Monday's demonstration came on the heels of news that the case would not go before a grand jury. Instead, the decision of whether to charge shooter George Zimmerman rests with State Attorney Angela Corey.

Corey's announcement came a day before a grand jury was scheduled to convene on the case.

"I respect that decision," Davis said. "And I'm just praying and hoping for the best out of that."
 


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