Stevie Wonder will boycott Florida until the state repeals its controversial Stand Your Ground law that helped lead to an acquittal for George Zimmerman in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman was acquitted Saturday of second-degree murder and manslaughter after a six-woman jury found that he justifiably shot Martin, an unarmed black in self-defense.
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The verdict sparked violent riots across the country as demonstrators demand federal charges on civil-rights violations.
Florida's Stand Your Ground law makes it difficult to prosecute a person who shoots someone and then claims self-defense. Twenty-two other states.
"I decided today that until the 'Stand Your Ground' law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again," Wonder said during a gig in Quebec City on Sunday. "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 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."
Twitter reactions to Wonder's announcement were mixed. Some cheered his decision and vowed to follow suit.
While others derided it as a pointless move.
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