海角大神

Officials and activists in California are moving quickly to halt the spread of violence that accompanied protests after George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the death of Trayvon Martin, with both parties saying the violence undercuts any positive message the protests were meant to send.

At least 13 people were arrested聽overnight Monday in Los Angeles聽after scuffles that included attacks on a local TV cameraman. Rocks were thrown, store windows were broken,聽and traffic was blocked on major freeways in both Oakland and L.A.

At a press conference at Dorsey High in L.A. Tuesday afternoon, activists and officials came together to send a message that the violence of a few will not be allowed to聽interfere with the聽rights of both the peaceful聽protesters as well as innocent bystanders.

Police chief Charlie Beck said he preferred his officers make no arrests on Tuesday night, as reported by the local NBC affiliate. But he said they would not tolerate lawbreakers.

"You come here again tonight, you will go to jail,"聽he said.

鈥淵our actions will reduce the power of the message from this community, and that is wrong. That is a shameful act.鈥�

Even as Los Angeles announced a crackdown on illegal activity, activists enlisted volunteer 鈥減eace monitors鈥� to guard the further rallies and marches planned for Tuesday evening.

Longtime local activist Najee Ali, executive director of Project Islamic H.O.P.E. in Los Angeles, who聽organized the main Los Angeles rally minutes after the verdict was read on Saturday night, says veteran organizers have聽learned important lessons over the聽decades of landmark protests 鈥� which they do not want to see undermined by a new generation of those willing to tolerate violence.

鈥淟et鈥檚 put this in historical聽context,鈥� he says.聽鈥淲e have a long history of racial profiling in this state that led to the birth of the Black Panther party in the sixties and icons like Angela Davis.鈥�

The state is also home to聽two of the聽nation鈥檚 largest and most devastating race riots: the Watts riots in the 鈥�60s, and the 1992 riots that followed the acquittal of four white L.A. policeman in the beating of Rodney King.

The hard-earned lesson from these decades of social activism, says Mr. Ali,聽is that peaceful protests with clear demands are the most likely to be productive. The outbreaks of violence can threaten the deeper goals of the protests, says Ali.

Ali says he has reached out to younger activists, some of whom are involved in the violence.聽Many of聽them cut their聽protest teeth in the local Occupy movement聽鈥� and have little focus behind hitting the streets, he says. 鈥淭hese younger ones have no leadership or聽plan,鈥� he says, 鈥渁ll they have is a bullhorn and a sign but no idea of what to do.鈥�

This lack of focus is one of the聽hallmarks of the recent Occupy movement, which many now say is feeding the current protests across the country, says New York defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, Stuart Slotnick.

鈥淲hen the movement launched in New York, it had specific goals,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut very quickly聽people came along holding up whatever issues they had on their mind,鈥� including violence.

Ali is concerned this willingness to tolerate illegal actions and a lack of focus could set back real progress on concrete goals of the current protests. These include聽everything from a call to the Department of Justice to press further charges聽against George Zimmerman, a聽nationwide examination of 鈥渟tand your ground鈥� laws and a reassessment聽of the value placed on young African聽American life, he points聽out.

Younger activists have a different perspective, agrees blogger聽and African American activist Jasmyne聽Cannick.聽鈥淚t鈥檚 true that聽聽 Trayvon Martin鈥檚 family may have called for peaceful protest, but they have to understand that this is now something bigger than them,鈥澛爏he says. 鈥淔or a lot of people this is the straw that broke the camel鈥檚 back.鈥�

Given California鈥檚聽place in the annals of social protest, it is important that聽the Golden State get it right.

鈥淲here California goes, so goes the rest of the country,鈥� says attorney Areva Martin, founder and managing partner of the L.A. lawfirm Martin聽& Martin.

鈥淲e have a rich history of organizing and progressive social politics,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t is no surprise that people are looking to California to see where this is all headed.鈥�