Zimmerman Protest Tonight & Thursday in Binghamton

Every generation there is a case that is so controversial that people say it's one one for the history books.  The verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman may just be that case that will have people talking about for many years.

Protests are planned this week for the Binghamton against the recent Zimmerman trial verdict. Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watcher who stalked and killed an unarmed teen, Trayvon Martin, last year, was said to be “not guilty” of any degree of murder or manslaughter in the case. After fatally shooting Martin in the chest, Florida officials took more than 45 days to formally charge Zimmerman with any wrong-doing.

Major cities across the U.S. protested the outcome, including Times Square in New York that brought hundreds of thousands on men, women and children to the streets, so big, police had to reroute traffic around Times Square.  Now there are groups in the Broome County area who are stepping up to protest.

Nationally, the NAACP is petitioning the Department of Justice for an investigation. Already over 450,000 signatures have been collected. The local NAACP is planning a demonstration at Rec Park, tonight (Monday, July 15^th), at 6:30pm, and on Thursday, July 18^th, university students and community members will gather in front of the Binghamton Court House for a march. Other events may be in developing stages.

The peaceful protests will reflect solidarity with a broader national movement to acknowledge and honor the value of young Black men's lives, and the lives of all those threatened by racial injustice. “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin” were the words of second term U.S. President Barack Obama. Despite this recognition, little has been done by the Whitehouse to stop racially motivated violence and hate crimes.