"No justice, no peace," more than 200 Muncie residents chanted as they stomped through Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Hundreds of civilians gathered at McCulloch Park in support of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old Florida boy who was shot and killed by a crime watch volunteer. The volunteer claimed he was complying with Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law that states if a person has reasonable cause to defend themselves, then the action is justifiable. Martin was unarmed.
To protest Martin's dead, a crowd marched with remorse for Martin and his family.
Ana Quirk Hunter said her purpose of being there was to support the "idea of justice" and to eliminate violence in society.
People of all ages and ethnicities participated in the march, including 13-year-old Jayda Rollins and 12-year-old Alyssa Almantrout.
"I think he needs justice, and I don't think it's right that the guy who shot him is free," Rollins said. "He needs to face consequences."
The two young girls said they can relate to Martin.
"I walk to the gas station every day and I don't think about getting shot," Almantrout said.
The crowd seemed to have a generous mix of young and old, but the majority of people who showed up in support of Martin were older.
Ball State alumnus Robert Prowell showed a deep appreciation for the involvement the Muncie community has played in the Martin case.
"If something like that happened here without there being justice, that would be like a slap in the face," Prowell said. "I'm just glad that people came out, but it's too bad that stuff like this is still happening in America; let's hope it doesn't happen in Muncie."
The march ended half a mile later at Tuhey Park on White River Boulevard with some final words from rally leader and pastor of Midtown Church of Christ, Denell Howard.
"If you've got a hood, put it up," Howard said. "Do I look like a criminal? Trayvon Martin was not a criminal and Trayvon Martin did not deserve to die.
"We are tired of the police harassing us, so we're going to come together and take our community back."
The testimony from Howard, and the other citizens who stepped up to the podium to speak out against the Martin case, evoked strong emotion from the crowd. A feeling of unity pervaded the crowd with an impossibility of escape.
"It's more about uniting together as a community, as the human race," participant Shun Stewarts said. "It's not about any one race; it's about the human race."
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