Latinos Protest Against Zimmerman In L.A., Say Trayvon Martin Was Wronged

National Latino groups and leaders remained mostly quiet after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who is half Peruvian. But East Los Angeles was a different story — here Latinos rallied against a man of their own ethnicity and “stood in solidarity” with the enraged African American community.

Several Latino organizations in east Los Angeles organized on Sunday evening to protest the jury’s not guilty verdict in the trial against Zimmerman for shooting Trayvon Martin. The main event was held at Mariachi Plaza in the heavily Latino-populated region of east Los Angeles nicknamed “East Los.”

This specific protest was organized by the Not One More Coalition, supported by local organizations such as Eastside Café, Corazón del Pueblo and La Mina, among others. It was only one of the multiple protests that took place in Los Angeles.

The East Los protest was a peaceful one, with no reported incidents from the police.

Despite its peacefulness, it is one of the only Latino-heavy demonstrations, since Latino groups have been generally silent on the issue.

Attendees were encouraged to arrive at 5 p.m. to begin building an altar not only in memory of Trayvon Martin, but also “of all our loved ones who have been taken from us by violence, racism, deportations, immigration policies and injustice,” according to the Facebook page of the event.

The “program,” the actual protest and display of grievances against the Zimmerman verdict, began at 6 p.m. The Latinos at Mariachi Plaza stood in solidarity with the Martin family for two hours.

The event page also had a recommended list of what to bring, including candles, skittles, hoodies and “your solidarity.”

“We Stand with Undocumented Families,” the event description read. “We Stand with All Those Lost to Violence, White Supremacy and Injustice! We Stand TOGETHER!”