The New Black Panther Party said Saturday night that it would initiate a nation wide protest following the not guilty verdict of George Zimmerman.
“Millions For Trayvon: September 7th in New York. We must respond. Respond now if you choose & also be with us on 9 -7,” the New Black Panther Party said via Twitter.
Zimmerman was found not guilty of second degree murder and manslaughter by a six-panel jury who deliberated for some 15 hours. He was accused of shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year.
After the verdict was handed down, the New Black Panthers wrote: “All of you haters of us. Im pleased to announce to you that your time to rule has ended. You are like dying dogs howling on ur deathbead.”
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Other Twitter users issued threats or suggested that Zimmerman was not safe.
“Bruh they r really gonna [expletive] this dude up when he get in Florida. He’s on a nationwide hit list,” user AR Era wrote.
“We need to be put on a nationwide lockdown because [expletive] is about to get real,” said Flytai21.
Others spread messages about the New Black Panther party’s “national protest” following the verdict.
Later, the “#IfIEverSeeZimmerman” trend term emerged on Twitter, with users saying they would harm Zimmerman.
“#IfIEverSeeZimmerman Ima make that Mf SUFFER,” one wrote.
But others questioned those users’ intentions.
“I understand everyone’s frustration but if you’re African-American and tweeting #IfIEverSeeZimmerman, thank you for making us look worse,” user Ayanna wrote.
“#IfIEverSeeZimmerman y'all won’t do anything except tweet about how you just saw him,” wrote user Cliff Paul.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has described the New Black Panther Party, which formed in 1989, as a “virulently racist and anti-Semitic organization whose leaders have encouraged violence against whites, Jews and law enforcement officers.”
The original Black Panthers, which rose to prominence in the 1960s, have rejected the group.
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