Despite his mother’s passing on Thursday, Al Sharpton still makes it down to Florida for Trayvon Martin rally.
Ada Sharpton, the Reverend Al Sharpton’s mother, died Thursday after her long term battle with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in Alabama, but Sharpton has had time to grieve yet.
The civil rights activist made his way down to Florida to lead a rally Thursday night in protest of the Trayvon Martin case, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17 year-old was shot by a local neighborhood watch man after the watchman, George Zimmerman.
As we reported earlier this week, Martin was walking in a gated community on Feb. 26 when Zimmerman followed and shot him. Zimmerman claims that he acted in self-defense, though some reports say Martin only had a drink and a bag of skittles on him.
Sharpton joins sides with other politicians and celebrities that have spoken out for justice in the Martin case. The Chicago Tribune reports, “But love him or hate him, Sharpton has become the most recognizable figure fighting—boots on the ground—on behalf of Martin and his bereaved parents.”
An event that was originally supposed to be held at the First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church had to quickly change locations to Fort Mellon Park to accommodate the mass amount of people.
The U.S. Department of Justice, civil rights department, and the FBI are investigating the case, but Sharpton and other critics feel like things are moving too slow.
Sharpton said before the rally, “We wanted to come out and say we did not come here for a temporary leave of absence, we came for permanent justice. Arrest Zimmerman now! That’s what this rally is about.”
While police have identified Zimmerman as white, his family says that he is Hispanic and that race is not an issue in this case.
Sharpton joined, “an audience made up of men and women of all races and ages and religions who stand with Sharpton in demanding justice on behalf of Martin and his family,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
Sharpton tweeted Thursday, “I am on the flight to Florida and will move forward with our plans to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. My MOM would have wanted me to.”
