The oppressive heat could not deter more than 100 demonstrators from attending a July 17 "Justice for Trayvon Martin Rally" that took place in the sculpture garden next to the Bethlehem City Hall. Attendees were protesting a Florida jury's verdict that found George Zimmerman not guilty of either second-degree murder or manslaughter for firing the bullet that killed 17-year-old Martin in February of last year.

"Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton have come together to lament Trayvon Martin," said Esther Lee, Bethlehem NAACP president, from her place at the fore of the protestors. Lee called for an end to stand-your-ground laws which, she said, were a factor in the "unjust" verdict.

Florida's stand-your-ground law states that a person who is attacked in any place where "he or she has a right to be" has "no duty to retreat" and can "meet force with force, including deadly force." More than 20 states, including Pennsylvania, have similar laws.

Dan Bosket, president of the Allentown NAACP, agreed with Lee.

"We are here because justice was not served," he said. Bosket urged everyone in attendance to sign the NAACP online petition asking Attorney General Eric Holder to file civil rights charges against Zimmerman.

Protestors Jaime and Jennifer Eggleston, of Bethlehem, had arrived early with their daughter Jade. They sat along the perimeter listening, Jaime holding a sign that read "Boycott Florida," his daughter a sign reading "We Are All Trayvon." Jennifer summed up what she thought was the tragedy saying, "I just think of all the young men in our society … it could have been any of them."

The Bethlehem rally was organized by the Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton chapters of the NAACP and attended by many Lehigh Valley advocacy groups.