Zimmerman verdict sparks protest in San Francisco
Protesters took to the streets in San Francisco on Saturday night to rally against a Florida jury’s acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin.
An official with the San Francisco Police Department estimated that about 200 people had gathered in the city’s Mission District, and officers had been called out to the scene.
“We haven’t been notified of any disturbance,” said the officer, who refused to give his name because he did not have an official statement. “So far it’s peaceful.”
Zimmerman’s shooting of an unarmed black teenager in a confrontation in Florida last year touched off a national debate about race and guns.
The jury of six women returned the verdict Saturday evening after more than 16 hours of deliberation over two days. Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder, but the jury had the option of finding him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Demonstrations against the verdict were taking place across the country Saturday night.
In Los Angeles, people gathered in Leimert Park. There have been no reports of protests getting out of hand.
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Twitter: RobertFaturechi
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