On Saturday as anger continued to simmer over a not-guilty verdict in the shooting death of black teenager Trayvon Martin.
The call for nationwide vigils designed to press for federal action in the emotionally charged case drew thousands to one New York rally.
Elsewhere turnouts were modest with the crowds drawn overwhelmingly from the black community, including in Miami where the slain 17-year-old's father spoke.
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"The death of my son, we believe, has to make changes in our society and repeal the laws that allow to kill somebody just because someone thinks (he) is suspect," Tracy Martin said.
The surprise appearance of hip hop star Jay Z and his wife, pop superstar Beyonce Knowles, helped swell the crowd at a Manhattan protest addressed by Trayvon's mother, Sybrina Fulton, and civil rights leader Al Sharpton. The protests came a day after President Barack Obama publicly identified with Martin and the deep frustrations felt among African-Americans over the verdict. "Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago," Obama told reporters Friday.
The president's remarks - his most expansive since a Florida jury's decision one week ago to acquit neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman - were applauded by many at Saturday's vigils.
Rallies in 100 cities across US to demand "Justice for Trayvon"
More than 100 "Justice for Trayvon" rallies were scheduled in the US on Saturday to demand that George Zimmerman face federal civil rights charges, a week after a jury found him not guilty in the death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.
The National Action Network, led by civil rights activist and minister Al Sharpton, is organizing the day of action, with the rallies outside federal court houses in cities across the country.
Trayvon Martin's mother and brother were to appear at rally in New York, while his father is set to attend a vigil in Miami.
Zimmerman's acquittal on all charges by a Florida jury was met with widespread outrage in the African-American community, sparking a national debate over the role racial profiling may have played in the 17-year-old's death.
Martin was unarmed when Zimmerman shot him dead in February 2012 at a gated community where the latter was keeping watch as a volunteer and where Martin was staying.
Attorney General Eric Holder has said the Justice Department has been reviewing the case to see whether any federal civil rights statutes had been violated, and whether it could take any fresh legal action.
President Barack Obama spoke pubically about the case for the first time on Friday, saying that "Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago."
AFP, dp
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