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Trayvon Martin death becomes national rallying cry Mar 24th 2012, 18:07 The Rev. Al Sharpton comments on the massive outpouring of outrage of how police in Florida are handling the investigation of the shooting death of Travyon Martin. By msnbc.com staff and news services Follow @msnbc_us Thousands of people in cities across the country planned to march this weekend to call for justice in memory of Trayvon Martin, the black teenager shot to death last month by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida. Rallies were planned Saturday in Washington, Chicago, Dallas and Tampa, Fla. Seattle, Baltimore and Atlanta were among other cities hosting weekend events. Protesters were encouraged to wear hoodies – the type of garment Martin had on when he was killed. In Tampa, up to 1,000 people marched to one of the city's busiest intersections, the Tampa Bay Times reported. They carried signs that said, "I am Trayvon" and "Arrest Zimmerman for a cold-blooded murder" or "Justice for Trayvon." Many wore hoodies and carried bags of Skittles, just as Martin did at the time he was shot, according to the Times. In Columbia, S.C., hundreds of people gathered in Finlay Park, wistv.com reported. "Trayvon is the Emmitt Till of our generation," said event co-chair Chris Sullivan. He's referring to the Mississippi 14-year-old who was beaten to death in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman.  "'A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,' those are the words of the great Dr. Martin Luther King and that's why we're here today," said Sullivan. More than 1.7 million people have signed an online petition urging that the shooter be prosecuted. Trayvon, my son and the Black Male Code Martin was killed in the town of Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26. The shooting has set off a nationwide debate over race and justice. Martin's family believes he was killed in part because he was black. Neighborhood crime-watch captain George Zimmerman, whose father is white and mother is Hispanic, claimed self-defense. He has not been arrested, though state and federal authorities are still investigating.  A legal adviser to Zimmerman said the shooting had nothing to do with race.  "I asked him, 'Are you a racist? Do you have anything against black people?' and he said 'No'," Zimmerman's legal adviser, Craig Sonner, told CNN on Friday. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: Sandusky labeled 'likely pedophile' in 1998 report Geraldo Rivera blames hoodie for Trayvon's death For alleged Afghan shooter, death penalty unlikely Civil War relic thief engaged in 'heartbreaking' destruction Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook Media files: getMobileVideo?videoId=46843521 9 charged in alleged gang rape of 14-year-old girl at party in St. Paul, Minn. Mar 24th 2012, 10:27 By msnbc.com staff and news services MINNEAPOLIS -- Nine suspected gang members and associates were charged Friday with taking part in a sexual attack on a 14-year-old girl who was forced back inside an abandoned St. Paul house and raped after trying to leave a party, authorities said. The girl and her friend were picked up at school by one of the men and lured to a party with suspected members of the TB22, or True Blood 22, street gang, prosecutors said. Follow @msnbc_us "This crime was every parent's nightmare," Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said in a statement. "Crimes like these shock the conscience of our community." According to a criminal complaint, the girl wanted to leave the Nov. 17 party at the abandoned St. Paul house but was pulled from a car and carried back inside. "The victim reported grabbing whatever she could, including door frames, to stop them from bringing her into the bedroom," the complaint said. The girl told a nurse that once she was forced onto a mattress on the floor inside the bedroom, a group of men held her down while she struggled and yelled for help. One of the defendants told police at least two men raped the girl, according to the complaint. Citing complaints and petitions filed in Ramsey County District Court, the St. Paul Star Tribune reported the alleged victim heard one suspect say, "Are you in? I call second." The girl told the nurse that when she asked the man who brought her to the party, 24-year-old Mang Yang, to help, he said he had to go, according to the complaint. The assault stopped when one of the men yelled "police" and everyone ran, the complaint said. 'Get them drunk' According to the complaint, Yang told police he knew the others planned to rape the girl and that "is the gang's intent every time they get girls to a party with them to get them drunk and rape them." One of the teens told police that Yang told him to hold the girl down. But the complaint said Yang told police he went looking for the girl after she was carried from his car and that he heard her screaming and saw teens run out of a room. Yang said he asked her if anything happened but she was crying and didn't answer, according to the complaint. Yang is charged along with four other men, ages 18 to 37. Four male minors, ages 15 to 17, also are charged. They each face four counts: aiding and abetting first-degree sexual conduct, conspiracy to commit first-degree sexual conduct, kidnapping someone under age 16, and committing a crime for the benefit of a gang. All nine defendants are suspected gang members or associates. Yang and three of the other adults charged made their initial court appearances Friday and were appointed public defenders. "This is a very serious case involving many co-defendants and we look forward to providing the best defense possible in each case to reach a fair resolution," said Kelley Malone-O'Neill, managing attorney at the Ramsey County Public Defender's office. Speaking to the Star Tribune, police spokesman Todd Axtell added: "We are looking for other potential victims to come forward." The Associated Press and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: Geraldo Rivera blames hoodie for Trayvon's death For alleged Afghan shooter, death penalty unlikely Civil War relic thief engaged in 'heartbreaking' destruction Students walk out in Trayvon Martin protest Red Tape: Credit bureaus upsell ID theft victims Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

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