Civil Rights Protests in Over a Hundred Cities in the US

The decision to acquit former neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman for the murder of the young Trayvon Martin sparked numerous demonstrations among the U.S. population. New protests are planned for Saturday in more than a hundred cities.

The U.S. Justice Department reopened an investigation into George Zimmerman, the Hispanic neighborhood watchman acquitted on Saturday for the murder of the young black Trayvon Martin, a spokesman said on Monday, after demonstrations were reported in various cities throughout the country against the pardoning of the accused.

In addition to this investigation, the former watchman could face a civil lawsuit from the family of the African-American teen, shot on Feb. 26, 2012, while walking unarmed through a Florida neighborhood.

It also emerged that at least 616,692 people signed up to three petitions on Monday to open a civil case against Zimmerman, Prensa Latina said.

Of that number, 600,000 citizens signed a text released by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People after learning the jury’s decision that exempted the former watchman of the charge of second-degree murder. Meanwhile, 16,692 Americans signed two other similar requests published on the digital portal of the White House.

All these initiatives are urging the Department of Justice and its incumbent, Eric Holder, to accuse Zimmerman for taking the life of Martin.

For its part, the White House said Barack Obama will not intervene in decisions about the case and the possible steps are left in the hands of the Department of Justice.

In his daily briefing, the White House spokesman, Jay Carney, said that the decision to bring federal charges against Zimmerman based on the violation of civil rights “is not something the President involves himself in” EFE quoted.

Carney said Obama “has no opinion to express about the disposition of how the Justice Department would look at this.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General Eric Holder said Martin’s death is a tragic and unnecessary event but gave no indication as to whether his department would consider this a civil rights violation and hate crime.

It emerged that in the early hours local authorities in California arrested at least 80 protesters carrying out a series of protests against Zimmerman’s “not guilty” verdict, reported Notimex.

The arrests came as demonstrators were preparing to block the path to Interstate 10, a major highway in Southern California.

Thousands of people continued gathering in San Diego, and other areas of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland.

On Sunday, after learning about Zimmerman’s acquittal, thousands of people took to the streets of New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Atlanta, repeating during marches, “No justice, no peace,” and “We are all Trayvon Martin.”

Next Saturday protests are to be held in a hundred cities to protect civil rights, announced Al Sharpton, leader of the National Action Network. “This is not over,” AFP quoted.