Postings from Sanford: The Trial of Trayvon's Killer, The People's Demand for Justice

Trial of Trayvon Martin's Killer Begins

All Eyes on Sanford, Florida

by Li Onesto | June 6, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

I'm on the plane, on my way to Sanford, Florida to cover the opening day of the trial of George Zimmerman—the racist vigilante who murdered Trayvon Martin.

People poured into the streets after the murder of Trayvon Martin because they saw that this was NOT an isolated incident, that it was yet another killing in a long history of Black youth gunned down by racist vigilantes or brutal police. And people were determined that this time, the killer would NOT go free. After this George Zimmerman was arrested and is now going to trial.

That anger has not gone away. People across society remain outraged over the cruel death of a young Black male, and are determined that there be justice in this case.

As one man told the Revolution reporter last year: "This goes way down into past history, from before we were even born until now. I really can't put into words how deeply I feel about it."

As we wrote last week, "there are very high stakes in the trial of Trayvon Martin's killer. Will this system that rampages around the world bringing slavery, suffering and death have its way—imposing its verdict that the life of a young Black man is worth nothing?"

Or will there be a different verdict in court, a verdict that represents justice for Trayvon. And even beyond this trial verdict, there needs to be a "societal statement"—a statement made in the streets and throughout society that this system and those it controls cannot have an open season on our youth.

The stage is set for an intense back-and-forth—society wide—between those fighting for justice and those who would not only set back this struggle but who are for a vicious and ominous tightening of the chains of oppression.

And all this is concentrated in the town of Sanford itself where mass protests are expected on the opening day of George Zimmerman's trial.

Enter the Courts and Police

Enter the courts and law enforcement. The Seminole County (where Sanford is located) Circuit Court has decreed that protesters around the courthouse will only be allowed "oral protest" and that signs that express what the authorities deem to be opinions "on any subject" are confined within—penned into—so-called "Public Assembly Zones."

These Public Assembly Zones are pens outside the courthouse which will be set up and enforced by the authorities. Outside of these pens, if you are carrying a sign that expresses what the authorities decide is an opinion (as opposed to what they consider a "fact") then you will be subject to being charged with and penalized for being in contempt of court.

Importantly, the ACLU of Florida has stepped up to counter this in a letter written to the chief judge of the court charging that these rules effectively ban "expressive conduct and speech which are well within the ambit of protected expression under the United States and Florida Constitutions."

An example the ACLU gives in their letter is telling: if you have a sign that says George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin, that is a fact. But if your sign says "Too Many Black Youth are Being Killed" (many people think this is also a bald fact), any police officer could decide that is an "opinion" and go after you if you are outside the protest pen.

Think about this... if you are walking near the courthouse through town expressing yourself or carrying a sign or maybe holding a protest in the area and expressing your opinion about the murder of Trayvon and the nature of the society we live in, some pig can make a ruling that if you are outside the protest pen, your speech is illegal and you will be subject to punishment.

And there's more... if you do decide to join the protests in the protest pens, you have to agree to be searched. And note, this includes the searching of your wallet and cell phone. As the ACLU stated in their letter addressed to the chief judge, what this means is that in order to exercise your First Amendment right to free speech, you must give up your Fourth Amendment right to "be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures."  As the ACLU points out "A cell phone is an electronic device, and even when an individual is subject to a lawful arrest, a warrant is required to examine its contents."

This kind of intimidation and planned repression and crackdown is totally unacceptable and illegitimate. For all the rulers of this country yak on and on about "freedom of speech," what they are setting up in Sanford reveals the true nature of their state—which maintains a monopoly on the use of supposedly legitimate violence and which uses that violence (or the threat of it) to enforce the will and interests of the ruling class over all of society.

And let's make no mistake...the interests of the powers-that-be in this situation are to defend "the whole white supremacist mentality and system represented by George Zimmerman, along with the police who immediately treated the murdered Black teenager as the criminal and the criminal justice system itself, which only even considered charging Zimmerman because of the massive outcry and protest." (see "A Summer of Big Challenges and Intense Struggle" in this issue of Revolution). The will and interests of those who rule over society are to keep the people down when their struggle threatens to go beyond the bounds and confines the powers-that-be deem acceptable.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is gearing up for the trial and have announced that they will also be working with other law enforcement agencies across Central Florida.

But I'll say two things about all this: One, all this repression, from the ruling class and their law enforcers who didn't even want to charge George Zimmerman with murder until mass protest forced their hand, is entirely unconstitutional (as the ACLU points out) and illegitimate and, two, instead of being intimidated and accepting these attempts to suppress our struggle, anyone who stands for justice will take a stand against this repression, and refuse to be intimidated. Too much is at stake for anything less.

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