Monica Almeida/The New York Times
LOS ANGELES Hundreds gathered on Saturday to mourn Trayvon Martin. The Department of Justice restarted a federal investigation into the case. More Photos »
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in dozens of cities on Saturday to commemorate Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager shot to death in a confrontation with a neighborhood watch volunteer early last year, and to add their voices to a debate on race that his death has set off.
The demonstrations began around noon at federal buildings across the country. They came a week after the volunteer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted by a court in Florida in Mr. Martin's killing; days after angry protests erupted in the wake of that verdict; and hours after President Obama said, in a heartfelt address, that "Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago."
The events were largely peaceful, though those attending in many cities faced sweltering heat — with temperatures in some areas reaching into the 80s and 90s. In Dallas, news reports said about 25 demonstrators had been treated by medical personnel for heat-related problems. In Atlanta, storms also bedeviled protesters, leading to the cancellation of an evening rally in a suburb.
Mr. Martin's father, Tracy Martin, addressing dozens of people outside the federal courthouse in Miami, said, "I vowed to Trayvon when he was laying in his casket that I would use every ounce of energy in my body to seek justice for him."
"I will continue to fight for Trayvon until the day I die," he added. "Not only will I be fighting for Trayvon, I will be fighting for your child as well."
Isabel Eugene, 16, who also attended the rally in Miami, said: "Before Trayvon Martin, we took precautions, but now it's worse. It could have been my brother."
At a rally in New York, many people held umbrellas to shield themselves from the overpowering heat. As the crowd of thousands shouted, "We're all Trayvon Martin," the Rev. Al Sharpton, one of the organizers of the gatherings, spoke, saying Mr. Martin's death should prompt a larger movement.
Mr. Sharpton then announced a plan to hold a protest in the capital in August to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
Mr. Sharpton said he wanted to ensure an aggressive federal investigation of Mr. Zimmerman and fight against Florida's broad self-defense laws. "Last Saturday we cried," he said, "but this Saturday we march."
"We're going to keep the focus on the Justice Department because Trayvon Martin had the civil right to go home that day," he added. "We cannot have a society where any one of our children can be taken based on someone feeling they had the right to stand their ground. Well, what about Trayvon's right to stand his ground? And what about our right to stand our ground?"
He also reiterated a point that President Obama had made in his speech the previous day. "You don't know the humiliation of walking in a department store and you're assumed to be a suspect rather than a customer," Mr. Sharpton said. "You don't know the humiliation of being guilty till proven innocent. You don't know the humiliation of how people judge you based on what your skin color is."
Mr. Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, who also attended the New York rally, stepped up to speak next, choking on her words as she faced the swelling crowd.
"Trayvon was a child, and I think sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle, because as I sat in the courtroom, it made me think that they were talking about another man," Ms. Fulton said. "And it wasn't. It was a child."
She later added: "Of course we're hurting. Of course we're shocked and disappointed, but that just means that we have to roll up our sleeves and continue to fight."
In Atlanta, the site of repeated protests since the verdict, several thousand demonstrators withstood torrential rains at a rally that focused on demanding action from the Justice Department in the wake of Mr. Obama's comments on Friday. "I need new federal charges along with that feel-good speech," Marcus Coleman, 39, told a crowd that roared its approval.
Channing Joseph and Ravi Somaiya reported from New York. Reporting was contributed by Emily Schmall from Miami, Alan Blinder from Atlanta, Mona El-Naggar from New York and Ana Facio-Krajcer from Los Angeles.
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