We have no plans to celebrate any conviction, since all possible “legal” outcomes point squarely toward a re-imagined Jim Crow justice

A verdict is coming in the trial of George Zimmerman, for the cold-blooded murder of Trayvon Martin. We don’t know what the mostly white jury will decide, but this much we do know: there will be NO justice for Trayvon or the thousands of others like him.

Zimmerman may be acquitted, and while this would be a slap in the face, the entire trial has been a slap in the face, the media campaign to demonize this young man is a slap in the face, and the entire system of racial profiling, mass incarceration, capitalist exploitation, and police terror is a slap in the face and a punch in the gut.

Trayvon Martin stood his ground, and we applaud him, although it didn’t save his life and has been used to justify his death.

Zimmerman is certainly worthy of a murder conviction, but even this unlikely outcome doesn’t bring Trayvon back certainly does not mean an end to similar vigilante executions or the more official executions carried out daily by police. A conviction would serve as false “proof” that we are truly post-racial, that justice has been served, something we know is a brutal lie.

A manslaughter verdict would be even worse than an acquittal: the “justice” system could crow about how it had delivered the goods while Zimmerman is locked up for a couple of measly years. We have no plans to celebrate any conviction, since all possible “legal” outcomes point squarely toward a re-imagined Jim Crow justice, where only those interested in upholding a white supremacist and classist status quo will find freedom.

Thus we ask you to stand up on your block, in your community, in your city and join us in the streets at 6pm on the day of the verdict, regardless of what it is. Come to express your sorrow, your rage, and your continuing demand for justice for Trayvon and beyond.

The legal system won’t save us, as the California Hunger Strikers remind us.

The clergy won’t save us, and some are already teaming up with the police to prevent the righteous anger of the people from being expressed.

The politicians damn sure won’t save us.

Only we can save us.

A list of events on the day of the verdict can be found at: http://TrayvonOC.wordpress.com

To connect with the Organizing Committee and plan a local event, please email: TrayvonOC@gmail.com