POUGHKEEPSIE – The acquittal of George Zimmerman in the Florida murder trial of Trayvon Martin brought more than 30 people to Mansion Square Park in Poughkeepsie Sunday afternoon to honor Trayvon.
People ranging in age from 10 to 56 gathered holding signs reading “whose son is next?” and “enough is enough.”
Local activist organizations including Real Majority Project, the International Socialist Organization, AME Zion, ENJAN, NAACP and others were represented.
Mae Parker-Harris spoke about the sadness of this time for the whole community.
“It’s time to mourn now with the injustices we are having throughout our community,” Harris said.
Much of the focus of the event was what action should be taken next. Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner has drafted a letter to send to fellow lawmakers.
“The letter just basically just echoes what the NAACP and MoveOn.org have put out this morning saying that Eric Holder, the Attorney General for the United States, that the US Department of Justice needs to open up a civil rights case against George Zimmerman,” Tyner said.
Another action was suggested by Tim Cook of the International Socialist Organization. He wanted to use Sunday’s gathering as a jumping off place for larger, better organized protests.
“One of the ways we can use Sunday in a productive sense is how can we move forward?” Cook asked. “Can we build something in our own community; can we work towards a march where we have more time to build for it? Where we can contact all of our perspective organizations that are represented here? Reach out to all of our community and bring together a march that says Poughkeepsie stands loud and clear against the injustice of this verdict.”
Zimmerman claimed he killed Martin in self-defense when the teen attacked him in Sanford, Florida.