Posted on 07/25/2013 10:01:47 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
When police officers locked the doors to the state Capitol at the end of business Thursday more than 100 protesters remained inside. Among the group were about 30 high school students and young adults from Philadelphia and at least six pastors from across the state, all planning to spend the night with the Dream Defenders.
“We’re writing the story of our generation right now,” Gabriel Pendes, a Dream Defender organizer, told the group as it gathered around the Great Seal of the State of Florida for a pep talk and prayer, and to hear the rules of engagement. “We want to create a better world than the one that was handed to us ... a lot more love, a lot more hope -- that’s what the world needs.”
Thursday marked the 10th day of the Dream Defenders' sit-in. It started as a response to George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the Trayvon Martin case and as a protest of Florida’s self-defense law. The demonstrators want Gov. Rick Scott to call a special session of the Legislature to repeal the law's "stand your ground" provision. Scott has refused, saying he agrees with the law and most legislative leaders also support it.
Martin, 17, died after a confrontation with Zimmerman last year. His lawyers presented a self-defense argument to justify the use of deadly force. Protesters seized on the stand your ground law, saying it creates an environment where deadly force is an acceptable response to a provocation. During the past week, though, protesters have broadened the discussion to include zero-tolerance school discipline policies, what protesters call a school-to-prison pipeline and the role race plays in educational opportunities.
“If it is wrong we need to stand against it,” said Eddie Walker, pastor of In God’s Time Tabernacle in Orlando. “Until we stand and do something about it nothing is going to be done.” Walker is part of a delegation of pastors associated with PICO, a faith-based community organizing group, spending Thursday night with the protesters.
Also joining the group Thursday was a busload of high school students and young adults from Philadelphia. The Alliance for Education Justice organized a freedom ride among allied groups in cities stretching from Boston to Washington, D.C. to participate in a Friday rally in Tallahassee. A second AEJ bus didn’t arrive in time to make the 5 p.m. closing of the Capitol.
And a third group, the recently formed Gaston Justice Coalition, said it will bring 200 people from New Haven, Conn., and Polk County to the protest.
“This situation goes far beyond Trayvon Martin -- this law, stand your ground, needs to be looked at very seriously,” said Herron Gaston, a 25-year-old Polk County native and Yale University student. “We want our kids to be safe and to be able to walk down the street without having to feel threatened.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Wednesday that the state has now spent nearly $46,000 on overtime since the protest began. That tab is likely to grow during the weekend. Singer and civil rights activists Harry Bellafonte is expected to participate in Friday’s rally. And a woman who identified herself as a cousin of Travon Martin said family members will be in Tallahassee this weekend to demonstrate solidarity with the protesters.
“We’re going to show this country that the youth has a voice and they are willing to unite,” said Ahmad Abuznaid, the 28-year-old legal and policy director for the Miami Dream Defenders.
It’s July in Florida....turn off the A/C.
They should have called out the riot squad if necessary. I guarantee you that they would if an anti abortion or a pro Second Amendment sit in would have been held or a Tea Party sit in for that matter.
They are not interested in knowing what the law means. For that matter, the leaders are not interested in “justice for travon”. they are interested in forwarding their agenda. Their agenda is to disarm the law abiding citizen. The idiots they use as their foot soldiers? They do not possess the intelligence to b interested in anything. They do not possess the intelligence and ability to tie their shoes. They only have the ability to: Breathe, eat, void body waste, and fornicate.
Yep, like roaches.
Turn off a/c and instill a phone/wifi signal blocker (not hard) and they’ll leave.
Kids today are too spoiled to comfort. That could come in handy in removing them.
Also, there are those sounds so high pitched that only kids can hear them. Blast THAT. I know for a fact that it drives them nuts.
He screwed up when he first sided with the mob, fired the honest prosecutors and cops then appointed a special prosecutor to hang George. He has learned the hard way that when one sells one’s soul to Satan, Satan always collects.
it did not play any role. Where it kicks in is in the civil lawsuits. It prevents them from collection any money.
Look at the Michigan right to work fight vs Wisconsin’s.
In Wisconsin the idiots had weeks to protest and raise hell. In Michigan we did it in less than a week total and the idiots went home.
Our governor is weak and not likely to be re-elected.
To where? Last I heard, an American citizen cannot be forcefully deported to another Nation.
You really should go back and see the roe Scott played in the attempted legal lynching of an innocent man.
The "protestors" are Scott's allies, not his enemies.
If he is elected, it will be without my vote.
Gee, (anti-stand-your-ground-law) pastor. That's an interesting concept.
why are these assholes allowed to stay insde....throw them out....this a public buildjng belonging to all the public not just some loosers bused in from out of state.
I wouldn’t allow anyone in without FL id.
“I wouldn’t allow anyone in without FL id.”
EXCELLENT! These people where bussed in... from where?
They are getting restless. There seems to be a growing rift between the leaders and rank-and-file. The leaders keep trying to make their effort greater than the special session and the Trayvon Martin Act. They see great social injustice that they want to correct. Because of the small success they have seen with national media attention, they are beginning to reject national assistance, thinking they can do this on their own.
As the rank and file begin to question why their leaders are interested in broader goals, they are becoming disillusioned.
exactly why they are allowed to do this for so long
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