College students around Florida are rallying to demand the arrest of a neighbourhood watch captain who shot an unarmed black teen last month.

Students were rallying Monday in front of the Seminole County criminal courts building in Sanford and on the campus of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

The students are demanding the arrest of 28-year-old George Zimmerman, who authorities say shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last month during a confrontation in a gated community. Zimmerman's father has said the man is Hispanic and is not racist.

Zimmerman has claimed self-defence. Florida law allows a person to use deadly force if the person believes he or she is facing a deadly threat.

The case has been turned over to the state attorney's office, which can file charges or present the case to a grand jury.