Trayvon Martin Riots? One Year Anniversary Of George Zimmerman Trial Stokes Fears

The controversial figure of Trayvon Martin is either a civil rights icon or a thug depending on who you talk to about the issue. With the one year anniversary of the George Zimmerman trial having just passed recently, some people fear these tensions could erupt into riots in major cities.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, the name of Trayvon Martin was used as a slur by one woman, and she was arrested as a result. President Obama made a controversial remark recently when he talked about black people “acting white.”

Last week, some people contended that the George Zimmerman trial “betrayed” African American men in general and claimed there needed to be a renewed push in the civil rights movement on issues like gun control, especially in regards to the Stand Your Ground law. For some, this brought back to mind the so-called Trayvon Martin riots that were feared shortly after Zimmerman’s verdict was announced. Reporting on the issue seemed to vary on political affiliation, with the Drudge Report highlighting instances of violence while Time ran a story talking about peaceful Trayvon protests that proved fears over race riots to be wrong.

Still, not all of the protests ended peacefully as evidenced by this video showing a Trayvon Martin riot:

Now these same ugly fears are rearing their heads again. For example, Mr. Conservative writes:

“Just a year ago, certain members of the black community condemned news agencies and police departments for warning of riots during the time of Zimmerman’s verdict as being racist – yet they came about to be true. Now, as the year anniversary is rolling around, the same fears are re-surfacing and are expected to swing around full circle…. Tensions around the world are currently running at max capacity and it would simply take a hot button issue like the Trayvon Martin case to set it all off, and that’s exactly what police have expressed concern about.”

Fortunately, these predictions have yet to come to pass. In fact, recent protests attended by Kobe Bryant and Trayvon Martin’s parents were called a “Peace Walk” and “Peace Talk,” although critics noted they walked around the neighborhood screaming, “What do we want? Justice!” According to the parents, the Trayvon Foundation’s purpose is to “raise attention to gun violence, create awareness of how violent crime impacts the families of the victims and to help provide support and resources to such families.” They also desire to “to increase public awareness of ‘stand-your-ground laws’ and all forms of racial, ethnic and gender profiling and educate youth on conflict resolution techniques.”

Do you think the anniversary of the George Zimmerman trial will inspire Trayvon Martin riots? Do you think gun control and gun rights laws should even be considered a civil rights issue?

[Image via International Design Times]