Zimmerman acquittal protest in Oakland turns violent; no arrests made

Large protests broke out Saturday night in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin.

The L.A. and San Francisco protests drew hundreds but were peaceful. Some problems occurred at the Oakland protest.

People marching through Oakland broke windows, spray-painted cars and buildings and attempted to start fires, according to the Oakland Tribune. Footage from television helicopters caught demonstrators vandalizing a police squad car, the newspaper reported.

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Vandals reportedly spray-painted and smashed the windows of a Bay Area Rapid Transit police car.

The San Francisco Chronicle said no arrests were made in Oakland and that no injuries were reported.

Demonstrations against the verdict took place across the nation Saturday night.

Zimmerman’s shooting of an unarmed black teenager in a confrontation in Florida last year touched off a national debate about race and guns.

The jury of six women returned the verdict Saturday evening after more than 16 hours of deliberation over two days. Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder, but the jury had the option of finding him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

In Los Angeles, demonstrators gathered in Leimert Park. There have been no reports of protests getting out of hand. The LAPD went on a tactical alert Saturday night to keep officers on duty.

Organizers are calling for a new protest today at 4 p.m. at Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards.

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