Crenshaw Rally Calls For Jury To Decide Martin Case; Teen's Twitter Log Published
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The shooting death of a Florida teen that has sparked a national conversation about race has also fueled calls for justice here in Los Angeles.
KNX 1070's Margaret Carrero reports dozens of protesters showed up for a rally in the Crenshaw district in the wake of the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
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Despite an alleged leaked police report cited in the Orlando Sentinel that supports the account of George Zimmerman, who said he fired on Martin in self-defense, protesters were calling for justice wearing hoodies and holding signs that read "Trayvon could be your son" and "Stop killing our young black men".
L.A. Sentinel publisher Danny Bakewell, who hosted the rally, said any speculation about what transpired between Martin and Zimmerman should be left in the hands of a jury.
"No matter what the discussion is about what he did or didn't do, that should be discussed in a court of law," said Bakewell.
The leaked report claimed there was an exchange of words between the two men before Martin punched Zimmerman in the face and beat his head on the ground.
Leon Jenkins with the NAACP said Martin may have been acting in self-defense.
"A jury has to make a determination whether this man is a big fat liar and a murderer, or whether he's telling the truth," said Jenkins.
The rally comes as conservative political website The Daily Caller posted a compilation of Martin's activity on his personal Twitter account from the last month of his life.
Although the account was closed shortly after his death, Martin — who tweeted under the handle "NO_LIMIT_NIGGA" — posted and "re-tweeted" several violent and sexually explicit messages before the account was ultimately shut down.
