Stevie Wonder heads a list of musicians that are staging a boycott against Trayvon Martin’s home state of Florida, in protest against the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the neighbourhood watch patroller who shot and killed the teenager.
“I decided today that until the Stand Your Ground law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again,” Wonder said during a concert in Quebec City, Canada. “As a matter of fact, wherever I find that law exists, I will not perform in that state or in that part of the world.”
The Stand Your Ground Law, which justifies the use of lethal force in self-defence before attempting to retreat, was not invoked by Zimmerman’s defence team, but it is argued that its explicit mention in the jury instructions influenced the trial’s outcome. One juror mentioned the law in her explanation of the not guilty verdict and it certainly played a part in the decision of the police not to arrest Zimmerman immediately.
Before alleviating the tone with a call for celebration, the Grammy-winning singer added:
“The truth is that — for those of you who’ve lost in the battle for justice, wherever that fits in any part of the world — we can’t bring them back. What we can do is we can let our voices be heard. And we can vote in our various countries throughout the world for change and equality for everybody. That’s what I know we can do.”
At least 23 other US states have provisions similar to or the same as Florida’s Stand Your Ground, providing varying degrees of legal protection to those who use force in perceived self-defence.
Wonder joins a growing list of celebrities speaking out against the verdict, including Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Usher, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Jay Z and Beyoncé.
