Police officers arrest a demonstrator during a march after a vigil held for Kimani "Kiki" Gray in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, March 13, 2013.
As is characteristic of inner city riots, local store owners fear property damage and violence at the hands of citizens allegedly upset by the shooting. "I'm scared for everything, myself, my store, my workers," Deli, Grill & Grocery owner Salm Sami told the Daily News. "This is three days of this."
The traditional leaders of protests that follow racial controversy—including Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton—have been relatively quiet, for now.
Last year Sanford, Fla., became the epicenter of nationwide protests after the Feb. 26 shooting death of black 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was killed following a scuffle with volunteer neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, who is Hispanic. Zimmerman is currently on trial for second-degree murder, but was not initially arrested.
[RELATED: Political Cartoons About Trayvon Martin Case]
Following national news coverage of the Martin case, racial violence apparently connected to the case occurred in several parts of the country. "Justice for Trayvon!" shouted one of the 20-or-so African-American men who attacked a 40-year-old white Alabama man.
As with the Trayvon Martin case, the decision of newspapers to report—or not report—unflattering details about the life of the dead teenager may stoke controversy and debate. Gray, like Martin, has a less-than-pristine record, which according to the Post includes arrests for grand larceny and possession of stolen property.
Watch: Footage of Monday looting:
More News:
Reader Comments (