Melissa Bailey Photo
Nivia Mendez and her two kids marched all the way downtown from the University of New Haven in West Haven, through finger-numbing winds, to deliver a message: “We are Trayvon Martins!”
Mendez (pictured) was one of 30 people who took part in an hour-long trek to the New Haven Green as the sun set Monday, followed by a rally in New Haven’s historic space of protest. The group was one of countless across the nation that have taken to the streets, calling for justice after a blockwatch captain gunned down the unarmed 17-year-old African-American boy in Sanford, Florida. Click here to read about a similar rally in New Haven on Sunday.
Monday’s event, organized by the University of New Haven Black Student Union, took place on the same day as the first full account surfaced from the point of the view of the shooter, George Zimmerman. Zimmerman claimed to police that Martin punched him and slammed his head into the pavement before he shot him, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The march focused on solidarity with Martin’s family, not a specific legislative response, said organizer Arnold Lane, a junior at UNH. Martin’s parents have decried Sanford police’s refusal to arrest Zimmerman based on a self-defense law. A group of 30 students and other supporters walked to the Green, where the group doubled in size, and huddled against the wind for a chilly rally.
Speakers Monday said Martin’s death hit close to home.
“What happened to Trayvon could happen in West Haven,” said Carroll E. Brown, president of the West Haven Black Coalition.
Others recalled the death of Malik Jones, a black 21-year-old man who was killed by a white East Haven cop in 1997.
Mendez, who lives in the Hill, said she attended the rally because she’s concerned for the safety of her own 21-year-old son — not necessarily from gun-wielding vigilantes, but from gun violence in general.
Mendez said she and her kids plan to return this week for two more gatherings in Trayvon Martin’s name.
The first is a rally planned for 6 p.m. Tuesday on the steps of the state Superior Court at 121 Elm St. The second is a march, set to leave Saturday at 3 p.m. from the Dixwell Q House at 179 Dixwell Ave., heading to the Green.
