(Image by Angelica Salazar)
No justice, no peace! was chanted from Houston to Hollywood yesterday for Trayvon. I was at Powell at the Cable Car turn-a-round station in Downtown San Francisco. One of PNN's other mama Skolaz, Vivi T was in Oakland. On Both Sides of the Bay the crowds were in the thousands.
When I arrived downtown it was a little after 4 pm and there were about 50 people present. Within ten minutes it had doubled before we left that site we were at least a hundred strong. As we marched peacefully yet strongly up Powell to our next destination we chanted no justice no peace!
People stood on the sidelines of the sidewalk in silence as we passed sending our message to all that would hear us, while tourist stood waiting in the line to move forward to catch the cable car some took pictures from their phones and camcorders while others rooted us on and some even joined in on the march. Traffic was at a standstill but they didn’t mind, no one became belligerent they just waited on us to stop so they could go. The cops thought we were going to get out of hand but we didn’t. We marched to Union Square with signs and bullhorns in hand, chanting “whose street? Trayvon’s street” was the response and “George Zimmerman’s, guilty!”
After a stop there and listening to the drummers drumming and the speakers stirring us up we were ready to move mountains if we had too. We left there peacefully and walked down Stockton Street to Market where we stopped traffic altogether and took over three lanes, buses were stopped, Streetcars were at a standstill and one of the drivers encouraged us on with high fives and well wishes. Some drivers turned off the ignition and stepped out of the vehicles to watch as we continued to chant and move our bodies in unison to the beat of the drums that seemed to build strength where some of us were losing it (me included). We got to Kearney and Market and stopped in the middle of the street to listen to another speaker talk about the injustice of our system and how we feel this trial was set up from the get up. I personally feel people were paid off but that’s just me after all I am entitled to my opinion.
After being there a few minutes we continued going down Market heading toward Embarcadero. As our numbers picked up so did SFPD but what I noticed was there were some on the force that was silently rooting for the cause as well. We marched to the Herman Plaza at Embarcadero and heard a few more speeches, we were told that a group of at least 500 were peacefully marching as well over in Oakland and there were several groups all across the United States of America that were marching as well. When I got to the end of the route I looked back to see hundreds of people still in route, it had to be at least 700 strong of us marching for justice to be served.
Our sincere prayers go out to Trayvon Martin’s family as they are trying to cope in the aftermath of a huge let down in the trial of George Zimmerman vs. Trayvon Martin. We are looking to God for His judgment and understanding in this matter. I am an African descendent mother and I worry about my son every time he leaves the house, I worry about my daughter every time she leaves as well, this is no way for family to live, in constant stress praying for safety to leave and return without being profiled or shot down and killed over nothing. My question is still the same, what was Trayvon going to do with a bag of Skittles and an Arizona Iced Tea? And my statement is still the same…if George Zimmerman had just listened to the dispatcher and not pursued Trayvon, he wouldn’t have gone to court and Trayvon would still be alive. Message to GZ, the courts may have freed you, but you’re still a prisoner within your conscious and that will haunt you for the rest of your days because you will have no peace until true justice is served.