Trayvon Martin's Parents Attend Miami Rally

Local government officials and Trayvon's parents rallied in Miami.

ByABC News
April 1, 2012, 10:01 AM

April 1, 2012— -- A rally for slain teen Trayvon Martin was held Sunday at Miami's Bayfront Park, in honor of his parents' return home from Washington, D.C.

The event was hosted by Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Democrat who represents Trayvon's home district. Trayvon's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, were also in attendance.

"She just wanted to welcome them home, and give people in the community one place to support them, to show their support for the family, especially the students," said Gwen Belton, a spokeswoman for Wilson.

Trayvon's parents and Wilson had asked local students not to walk out of their schools to protest Trayvon's shooting, so they wanted to "give students a constructive and safe environment to express their support for Trayvon," Belton said.

Other government officials joined Wilson at the rally, including Rep. Corrine Brown, Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barbara Jordan, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, and Florida state Rep. Cynthia Stafford, D-Miami.

Other noteable figures included the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, singer Chaka Khan, singer Betty Wright and actress JoMarie Payton.

"We're just trying to comfort them in their time of sorrow," said Belton.

Rallies in support of Trayvon and his family have sprung up around the country, urging the Sanford, Fla., police to arrest shooter George Zimmerman in the wake of the controversy surrounding his encounter with the teen.

The volunteer neighborhood watchman claimed that he shot and killed Martin in self-defense after the teen had attacked him. Florida's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law allows people to use deadly force to protect themselves if they feel they're facing grave danger.

While Zimmerman did not appear to be bloody or bruised in a police surveillance video obtained by ABC, his lawyer, Craig Sonner, said his client felt "one of them was going to die that night" when he pulled the trigger.