Dream Defenders, an organization committed to confronting inequality, are busing college students to Gov. Rick Scott's office Tuesday to demand that he calls a special session to review the "Stand Your Ground" law and enact anti-racial-profiling training for law enforcement officers.
Through its peaceful sit-in protest, the group is demanding Florida lawmakers establish the "Trayvon Martin Civil Rights Act."
"Saturday's verdict showed the world that Florida has no value for the life of its children," says a statement released by the group on its website. "This is an opportunity for Governor Rick Scott and the Florida legislature to prove their commitment to the next generation of Floridians."
Organizers are expecting as many as 200 people -- mostly college students from Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Gainesville -- to attend the sit-in protest.
Scott is currently in New York, but the group says it will wait as long as it has to to get the desired results.
The Legislature isn't due back until September.
Meanwhile, Dream Defenders has taken to Twitter, and have created the #TakeoverTuesday hashtag to keep people updated with its progress.
The group says that it's aware that Scott and the Legislature aren't due back in town for some time but that it wanted to make sure to get a head start and give Florida lawmakers ample time to get things rolling.
In other words, Dream Defenders means business. And as more and more young people roll into Tallahassee, it's going to be tough for Scott and the Legislature to ignore their demands.
You can read the full statement from Dream Defenders below:
We are here to honor the memory of Trayvon Martin and pay respects to his family. This tragedy serves as a vivid reminder of the pain felt by our communities, in which we are profiled, criminalized and targeted. Unless we take action nothing will change. Saturday's verdict showed the world that Florida has no value for the life of it's children. This is an opportunity for Governor Rick Scott and the Florida legislature to prove their commitment to the next generation of Floridians.Dream Defenders demand that Governor Rick Scott call a special session of the Florida legislature to address the issues at the center of the Trayvon Martin tragedy: stand your ground vigilantism, racial profiling and a war on youth that paints us as criminals and funnels us out of schools and into jails.
Together we are united in ensuring Trayvon's unjust death was not for nothing. Our anger in the face of gross injustice has led us to take action but it is the love of our people and our community that pushes us forward.
We are here because Trayvon can't be.
We are here because our lives and our dreams remain at risk every day that the Governor and Legislature refuse to act.
We are proof of an organized youth resistance, in solidarity with youth movements across this country.
We will stay here as long as WE see fit, in defense of our rights as citizens, voters, and human beings.
We demand the Governor call a special session of the legislature to create a New Trayvon Martin Civil Rights Act for our state.
We will remain here, standing OUR ground, for Trayvon, for justice, until our demands are met.
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