As Trayvon Martin rallies were held in nearly every state in the country, Jay-Z and Beyonce took to the streets of New York to make sure they were included in the fight for justice.
An estimated 100 cities held Trayvon Martin rallies, filling their streets with peaceful protests. Some people marched, others wore t-shirts with heartbreaking messages, and some chanted “I am Trayvon Martin,” while signing an official petition against the “not guilty” verdict that made George Zimmerman a free man.
In New York, the Trayvon Martin rally received some special guests as Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, and brother were joined by the Rev. Al Sharpton, Beyonce and Jay-Z.
The megastar couple didn’t want the evening to be about them, however, doing their best to simply blend in with the crowd as they all joined together to fight for justice.
“Jay-Z and Beyonce said they didn’t want to speak and they didn’t come for a photo op,” Sharpton told the crowd. “Beyonce put a beautiful message up on Instagram. Let me tell you, that before a lot of you were down, Jay-Z always supported us.”
He went on to point out that “the laws must protect everybody, or it doesn’t protect anybody.”
“We don’t come from hate, we come from love of children,” the MSNBC host explained.
Sharpton then reminded everyone of the one fact that the jury seemed to ignore when coming up with the verdict:
“Trayvon Martin had the civil right to go home that day,” he told the crowd as they cheered.
People all across the nation are furious over the fact that it was Zimmerman’s decision to follow the teenage boy despite the fact that he had been instructed not to do so.
The rally pressed on with the massive crowd chanting, “I am Trayvon Martin” and “No justice, No peace!”
While the famous couple didn’t want a photo op, they did take the time to take some pictures with Trayvon Martin’s mother and the Rev. Al Sharpton after they spent the day protesting the “Stand Your Ground” Laws.
The rally in New York was a powerful one, but it was far from being the only powerful moment.
As camera crews caught footage and pictures of the nation’s fight for justice, it was obvious that this case has brought so many diverse people together for the same cause.
Children in New Orleans wore t-shirts at the Justice for Trayvon Martin rally that read, “Am I Next?”
A picture of a man in Las Vegas holding his daughter in the middle of the large crowd was a chilling reminder that this injustice isn’t just about race, it’s about the safety of our children.
There was something beautiful about the crowd of protestors, however. Although the fight is about discrimination against African-Americans, they aren’t being forced to fight this battle on their own.
People of all nationalities and backgrounds came together to fight for Trayvon and pointed out that this teenager stands for an entire collection of people who have been wronged by the justice system.
One man holding up a sign that read, “Justice for all the Trayvons” explained, “Trayvon Martin is not alone. There are many out there who are abused in ways large and small just like he has been.”
