Speakers at the rally said Trayvon Martin’s shooting illustrated how they believed many African Americans are often wrongly profiled as threats when out in public.
Felicia Smith, a student at the University of Akron who attended the rally, said that for her, the trial was a reminder that African Americans sometimes face undue suspicion.
"We want to say, ‘Oh, we’re just in a different society now, we’re coming together on some things,'" she said. "But there’s secret places where this goes on. It’s still there, and we just need to address it."
Martin was on his way home from buying Skittles and iced tea when he got into an altercation with George Zimmerman, who shot and killed him. Zimmerman said he fired his weapon in self-defense.
Some at the rally said the incident called to mind last year’s deadly police chase in Cleveland that ended with officers shooting two unarmed people.
Protesters marched up the steps of the Justice Center carrying signs and bags of Skittles. They poured Skittles into their hands and hurled the candy toward the building's entrance.
