Students

Zimmerman Trial Verdict: Protestors Occupy Florida Governor Rick Scott's Office, Demand 'Stand Your Ground' Repeal

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At least 60 students from the University of Florida chapter of the Dream Defenders activist group flooded Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office Tuesday demanding the repeal of the Stand Your Ground law, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The protestors' demands included the repeal of the controversial law at the center of the Trayvon Martin shooting, a civil rights act in the name of the 17-year-old victim and for a special session of the Florida Legislature to discuss racial profiling.

"If the courts aren't going to deal with these issues, we have to call upon our elected officials to make changes," said Nailah Summers, 25, a Miami Beach native and president of the University of Florida chapter of the Dream Defenders.

The demonstration came three days after the jury returned a not guilty verdict in the murder trial of George Zimmerman.

"We are here because we need justice for Trayvon," said Estefania Galviz, a 22-year-old student from Jacksonville, who traveled to Sanford to hear the verdict. "Trayvon represents the black and brown community and the youth of this country. Clearly, we are not treated equally."

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder publically scrutinized the controversial law in a speech Tuesday to the NAACP. He said the Stand Your Ground law "senselessly expands the concept of self-defense and sows dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods."

The group of protestors said they would wait in the governor's lobby until they met with Scott himself. He is currently in New York, but was due back Tuesday night.

"We're hoping he sees the seriousness of the issue and hurries home," said Ahmad Abuznaid, 28, the Dream Defender's legal and policy director. "We know New York is a great place to visit, but we have business to take care of here at home."

According to the Panama City News Herald, Scott is set to hold a town hall meeting on the campus of Gulf Coast State College (GCSC) Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The forum is meant to focus on Florida's Agency for People with Disabilities, but will feature a question-and-answer segment and will be open to the public.

The forum is approximately a two-hour drive from the Scott's Tallahassee office and the Dream Defenders have not said whether or not they would attend. Based on their pledge, they are willing to wait for the governor to return to his office.

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