after more than 16 hours of deliberation, the george zimmerman jury reaches a verdict. >> in the circuit court of the 18th judicial circuit for seminole county, florida, stated of florida versus george zimmerman, we the jury find george zimmerman not guilt y so say we all, foreperson. >> does either side want to poll the jury? >> we would. >> ladies and gentlemen -- i mean, ladies, as your juror number please say if this is

your verdict. >> juror achltd, is this your verdict? >> yes. >> juror bs this your verdict? >> yes. >> juror 37, is this your verdict? >> yes. >> juror 51, is this improur verdict? >> yes. >> juror e, 40, is this your verdict? >> yes. >> thank you. >> not guilt y with that judge told george zimmerman he is free to go. you're watching continuing coverage of the george zimmerman trial here on msnbc. tonight we got that verdict. the state tonight's office, disappointment. >> what was convincing to us when we listened to the tape is that the scream stops the moment the shot is fired. that's the kind of common sense evidence that prosecutors rely on every day. that scream stops the moment the shot is fired. we always believed, after hearing that tape, that it was trayvon martin. >> we saw the defense attorneys

were happy after a year and a half they were able to persuade the jury george zimmerman acted in self-defense. >> he has to be very cautious and protective of his safety because there is still a fringe element who have said at least in tweets and everything else that they want revenge, that they will not listen to a verdict of not guilty, although i think everyone in this room would agree this was a very trial. more fair to the state on occasion than to the defense but it was a fair enough trial in that the state got to present everything they could. in that sense those people who have their anger are going to have it because they're angry, not based on fact. we can't have that but we do need to be worried about it. >> outside the courthouse a mix of reaction. some applauded the verdict. attorneys for trayvon martin's family insist he will not be

forgotten. >> to everybody that put their hoodies up and to everybody who said, i am trayvon, his family express their heart-felt gratitude for helping them these past 17 months. >> and we're now seeing this. this is a picture from san francisco. there are people right now marching through the streets of san francisco in what appears to be reaction to this verdict. again, we are in continuing coverage on msnbc of the george zimmerman trial as well as the verdict of not guilty. i'm chris jansing. we want to bring in msnbc's craig melvin, outside the courthouse in sanford, florida, and give us a recap of what happened tonight. >> reporter: no justice, no peace, is the chant coming from

the demonstrators in front of the courthouse. the system failed us is what we heard from folks after the verdict was read. while that verdict was read, we listened closely, just a few feet away from us here, it was pretty quiet. it was pretty quiet. shortly thereafter the chant started again. i can tell you, by and large, the crowd has dispersed. there's no crowd here at this hour. the news helicopters that had been hovering for most of the evening, they're gone. so is law enforcement. the law enforcement presence heavy throughout much of the day and yesterday as well as the jury was deliberating here at the courthouse, those officers are also gone for the evening. as for civil unrest, proud to report there has been none of that here in florida. we heard from the police chief he said by and large things had remained fairly calm and

peaceful. same for the county here. so far, so good. the courtroom, empty. thank you. we have a panel here tonight to analyze what this means going forward as well as reaction to this verdict. melissa harris perry is with us as well as joey ann reed, with visitors, and lisa bloom, who has been covering this throughout this trial. let's start with the legal question, if we can. we don't know. the jurors haven't told us. they haven't spoken us. what's your gut about what happened here tonight, lisa. >> based on the case that went through these jurors, this was

really the only conclusion they could draw. i was asked a few days ago about what i thought they would do. i thought it would have to be a defense verdict. i was disappointed the evidence did not connect with what the prosecution was doing in this case. i've raised a lot of questions throughout, taken a lot of heat for that, but there was evidence for the prosecution that did not get argued to the jury. a lot of questions not asked by this prosecution. for those not used to watching murder trials as i have for 12, 14 years, it did not jump out at them as it jumped out of me. the prosecution usually making declarative statements? closing, the theory of the case, why it happened, why he's guilty. the reenactment video where he clearly indicates the gun is hole centered in his pants, behind his back. i would expect the prosecution

to play that for the jury. that didn't happen. i would expect them to demonstrate on the dummy how laying down a person with the gun qunt see the gun and seeing the gun is the essence of george zimmerman's story, trayvon martin saw the gun and he had to shoot in self-defense. the idea george zimmerman's head was pounded on the scemen. . a and the hoodies, it was separated by two to four inches from the body and, therefore, trayvon martin had to have been leaning over george zimmerman, threatening him so zimmerman had to shoot. they gathered at the bottom, bagged out. didn't necessarily mean he was

leaning over. did the prosecutors not look at the evidence, review it over and over and over again as a lawyer would do in a trial? did the staff not read it over again? did he not work on a closing argument? i may sound extremely critical of the prosecution but to be honest, i was flabbergasted. as i looked at what was going on and i looked at what was going on in the courtroom. as i said, i don't have an explanation for it. i wish someone would ask the prosecution. >> as a layperson you wanted to jump up saying, why wouldn't they ask a rebulgt question. they were asking witnesses like john good but never question it more. if they say, i saw trayvon martin wailing on him, ground and pound style, did you see him bashing his head on the cement? they never seeped to come back

at witnesses even when they put them on, they didn't seem to have much of a follow-up. the first time you saw a passion about the case is at the end when john guy came out with that passion, almost a sermon, but it hadn't been predated by a passionate defense of the evidence. one thing we all talked about here was this 25 feet or so from this "t" where the fight started to where the body ended up. how did they get from here to there? that was never brought up in the trial. there were so many times when you wondered, are they trying that hard you? only saw a big emotional effort at the end. >> there was a moment tonight where it was very high tension because we knew that the jury had some sort of message. they came in with the message they wanted further clarification from the judge about the instruction for manslaughter. and so the question we had, that we didn't know the answer to,

were they considering the possibility of manslaughter as opposed to second-degree murder or manslaughter as opposed to not guilty. obviously we know, melissa harris perry, what the outcome of that was. they never gave a clarification of why they wanted to hear more, but the tension was almost unbearable. you can imagine what it was like there. you can imagine what it was like for the family there and the silence outside the courtroom. >> it seems like lesiisa and jo are zeroing in. it's easy for us to make them the bad guys here. i think that's the easiest thing to do. i think what lisa is really asking us to do is to say, wait a minute, what they were

presented with, the actual case from the prosecution -- i had watching the case these moments of thinking, it feels like there's something missing here but i didn't -- honestly, the first time i saw something feels amiss here was tonight. when the state attorney came out after this verdict, a verdict of not guilty, a verdict with whatever her own beliefs were, clearly she lost this case, in a mood that was odd. it was almost gleeful, thanking all around, victorious in its position. i have to say that i was taken aback by the sense from the state attorney who did not herself try this occasion even though there were six women on this jury, she did not as the woman lead attorney, didn't take this case on herself, despite she had taken on hers like melissa alexanders, i would say,

i was stunned by her disposition, but didn't seem to have a sense of stress, anxiety, sadness, any of that, about the fact this child's death -- that no one will be held accountable for it. >> but she also said something that seemed to contradictory, you and i looked at each other, this was not about race although he was profiled. >> again, the idea, what could he have possibly been profiled on? i assume she must have meant somehow he was profiled because he was young and outside in the evening? i mean, clearly this was about race. i think maybe what she means, and this is the complication of talking about race around this case, if i'm my most giving in my analysis of race for her, is we don't have evidence of -- nor

do we need evidence that george zimmerman is himself an active, rabid racist, someone who uses racist terminology or says he hates black people or black people are unequal. our sort of hangup in this country, that constitutes a race question rather than recognizing race is at play in this sense that a young black man walking, minding his own business, unarmed, not committing any crime, he does not have a right to simply walk home. he somehow owed george zimmerman an explanation for what he was doing in this public space. and, by the way, the whole case resting on that if this child turned around and was being followed by an armed stranger, an armed stranger we know had the willingness to use deadly force against him, because he

did, in fact, use deadly force against him, this young man did not have a right to stand his ground. once he fought back in a reasonable circumstance, the first time that the defense -- i'm sorry, the prosecution said that was in the closing arguments. it feels to me from the beginning they should have been making an ar gumentd should have had a right to be afraid, to fight back against a stranger who was armed and ready to use it against him. >> i watched the entire case. it was brought up by the defense over and over in the most pernicious way. their ar ument was there was a woman in the neighborhood burglarized by an african-american. so it was okay for george zimmerman to look out his window in the suv and see a

african-american and check into him. what else is this other than racism? >> only mark o'mara made a lot of statements afterwards people are upset about this and they're just angry. remember for george zimmerman's story to be correct, those jurors had to be believe they, too, would have been afraid of george zimmerman. too get that across, mark o'mara fought hard to get in this grainy photo of trayvon martin. portrayed thesis young trayvon martin photoings that was sweet and adorable, that's not the trayvon martin you saw. he showed the grainy photo from the 7-eleven and this completely irrelevant picture of trayvon martin with a takeaway gold grille. what message was that other than to say -- the picture of trayvon martin taken within ten days of

his death was trayvon martin riding a horse. had he shown the picture of trayvon martin, it was a picture of him in a pink shirt with his mom riding a horse. those were the most recent photos. he never showed those photos, neither did the prosecution. >> no evidence for george zimmerman to look out the window that he was an a-hole and a punk. he was walking slowly in the rain? really, really? does that have any credibility? could anyone possibly believe that? >> he said he looked like he was on drugs. how do you look like you're on drugs. he's on his cell phone. oh, looks like something in his hands, his pocket. >> reaching for the waistband. >> he's checking me out. >> they had a lot of dlaeburgla

in the neighborhood. this is the theme defense went with at trial. we don't have to extrapolate or imagine. that was the theory of the case and it was not challenged by the prosecution. he said in closing, this is not about race. they didn't want to go near it and neither did angela perry. >> this national discussion moving forward, we know reverend al sharpton is on the phone call with leaders of naacp and other civil rights leaders, about how they move this forward. we'll take a break and continue our discussion of george zimmerman found not guilty. >> in the circuit court of the 18th judicial circuit for seminole county, florida, state of florida versus george zimmerman. verdict, we the jury find george zimmerman not guilty. >> rano peace, no justice. no peace, no justice. no peace, no justice.

t's get th. in miami, coca-cola is coming together with latino leaders to support hispanicize, and the adelante movement. teaching tools for success, and fostering creativity. these programs are empowering people to lead positive change, and helping them discover how great a little balance can feel. through initiatives like these, our goal is to inspire more than three million people to rediscover the joy of being active this summer. see the difference all of us can make, together. [ male announcer ] some question physics. some question gravity. and some... even have the audacity to question improbability. with best-in-class towing and best-in-class torque these are some of the bold, new ram commercial trucks -- built to blow your imagination. guts. glory. ram.

built to blow your imagination. "stubborn love" by the lumineers did you i did. email? so what did you think of the house? did you see the school ratings? oh, you're right. hey babe, i got to go. bye daddy! have a good day at school, ok? ...but what about when my parents visit? ok. i just love this one... and it's next to a park. i love it. i love it too. here's our new house... daddy! you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen. yeah... try new alka seltzer fruit chews. they work fast on heartburn and taste awesome. these are good. told ya! i'm feeling better already. [ male announcer ] new alka seltzer fruits chews. enjoy the relief!

we're looking at the city of san francisco, marchers protesting the verdict of george zimmerman, walking quietly, reportedly saying signs, the whole system is racist, the people say guilty. there is a police presence but a peaceful protest so far. you're watching continuing coverage of george zimmerman verdict not guilty. with us, john burris and paul henderson. before i get your reaction i want to play and have a chance for folks to listen to what the prosecution and defense teams had to say after the verdict was read.

both sides did have a press conference as we get that ready. they we want into the jury room and asked jurors if they wanted to make an answer or a statement, they said no. right now there's an order not to reveal their identity so we will not hear from them. here's what the prosecution had to say. >> what was convincing to us when we heard the tape, the scream stops the moment the gun is fired. that's the kind of common sense evidence prosecutors rely on every day. that scream stops when the shot was fired. we always believed after hearing that tape that it was trayvon martin. >> apparently we don't have the defense side yet. i thought that was a very telling moment. we've been talking a lot about some of the things that did not seem to get emphasized in this

case. >> i never thought the prosecution had a clear theory on this case. the opening statement was over the top. it was highly emotional but they never gave any facts. at the time the prosecution witnesses turned out to be good for the defense. it was clear they wanted to win this case on negative way trying to suggest that mr. zimmerman was lying all the time and they had this narrative he was a highly, sophisticated, wanna-be cop. i thought the jurors would have a hard time believing this was a highly sophisticated guy who planned all these movements in a situation that was just situational. was not particularly impressed but i do think they had a chance of a manslaughter. as i said earlier the manslaughter instructions were so confusing, i never thought they could not figure that out. they could only figure it out

enough to say only self-defense. i was not impressed with the prosecution. the defense attorneys did a great job. in fact, if this case was flipped on side of the head, the defense lawyers were playing defense. i never thought they were in the game in a real way. >> paul, one thing that struck me as we watched this unfold, particularly in high profile cases like this a, there's a certain graciousness that comes out of both fights. i fought the good fight. you disagree. obviously as the prosecutor you want the conviction as defense attorney. you want to protect your client. but i was a little surprised when the defense came out there wasn't an acknowledgment of the pain of trayvon martin's family.

in fact, far from saying a lot of nice things about the prosecution, they made some pretty tough accusations against them. >> you know, and you pointed out the exact thing that has angered me. i was disappointed and frustrated with the comments about the prosecution being a disgrace, the fact that it took place. to me that reflects -- it's a bitter pill to swallow with the verdict and the facts that i think a lot of people are feeling right now. and i, for one, feel very strongly about the criminal justice system, even when there's a tough loss. and every loss is tough. it's particularly tough when you have a victim that's not going to return and when you work so closely with a family. you know, from my perspective as an african-american and as a prosecutor, i absolutely believe in the criminal justice system

even with its flaws and part of why i believe so strongly in that criminal justice system is that i believe it can be inclusive. in tonight's verdict and the proceedings over the past weeks, i feel the challenges have been associated with the exclusional elements associated with race. race has been a component from the very beginning of this case to the very end of this case. my perspective of what i reviewed and what i've seen, the defense attorneys and putting together their case have made race a component, even from the very beginning with their limited motions and portrayed trayvon martin in a way that was negative. i feel like that was very unhelpful in evaluating the evidence, even from the very beginning when they were talking about the fights with the homeless and the texts, which

were not only prejudicial and inaccurate, including the pictures they did show to the jury that were supposed to be menacing. every intro deduction about trayvon martin was detrimental to the prosecution case. it's that reason why i feel the prosecution should have been and could have done more with race not to have introduced it. i'll give you a perfect example. when they brought in that neighbor to say someone broke into that house and it was a black person, i was screaming at the television. well, what does that mean? it was not trayvon martin that broke into your home. and then they brought in the neighbor that was black, i was thinking to myself, trayvon martin was there and his brother

was there and the former neighbor was black, there were black people in this neighbor, why would something trigger in you to trigger you to react so that caused this entire situation. i wanted to hear more of that conversation. i feel like this is why, for these reasons, so many people feel disenfranchised from the criminal justice system. so many people feel frustrated by the lack of that conversation in the presentation throughout the trial. it's exactly why we need to consider the criminal justice something, more inclusive and everyone needs to be at the table having these discussions so we can have more outcomes.

>> on the streets of san francisco, peacefully marching but marching to protest this not guilty verdict. we'll take a break and be back with more coverage on msnbc. in the circuit court, state of florida versus george zimmerman, verdict, we the jury find george zimmerman not guilty. to make their money do more. (ann) to help me plan my next move, i take scottrade's free, in-branch seminars... plus, their live webinars. i use daily market commentary to improve my strategy. and my local scottrade office guides my learning every step of the way. because they know i don't trade like everybody. i trade like me. i'm with scottrade. (announcer) scottrade... ranked "highest in customer loyalty for brokerage and investment companies." if you've got it, you know how hard it can be to breathe

and man, you know how that feels. copd includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. spiriva is a once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that helps open my obstructed airways for a full 24 hours. you know, spiriva helps me breathe easier. spiriva handihaler tiotropium bromide inhalation powder does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops. stop taking spiriva and seek immediate medical help if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, vision changes or eye pain, or problems passing urine. other side effects include dry mouth and constipation. nothing can reverse copd. spiriva helps me breathe better. does breathing with copd weigh you down? don't wait to ask your doctor about spiriva.

so we have to have responsible conversations about how we get better as a country and move forward from this tragedy and learn from it. >> you're watching msnbc's continuing coverage of the george zimmerman trial. after a jury in sanford, florida, returned that verdict of not guilty, i'm chris jansing. i want to play a little more. we did not see the martin family in the courtroom there. a legal team advised them not

to. i don't think we could imagine what it must have fet like sitting in that room, all those days, seeing pictures of their son murdered, hearing the things they had to listen to, but they did release a number of statements and we did hear from benjamin crump and team of lawyers there. i want to play a little more of that. >> this morning, martin luther king's daughter, dr. bernice king, tweeted me a message that read, today is a defining moment for the status of my father's dream. whatever the zimmerman verdict is, she tweeted, in the words of my father, we must conduct ourselves on the higher plane of dignity and discipline.

trayvon martin will forever remain in the anales of history along with merger evers and tillman in the fight for equal justice for all. >> again, that dignity and discipline we're seeing tonight, there were no incidents outside the courthouse, although people were waiting many hours for this verdict. we're seeing a peaceful march in san francisco. melissa harris perry when we first came to you after the verdict was read, you had a very personal reaction and it's stayed with me and will stay with me for a long time about how african-american parents will have to hold their children closer tonight. it raises questions.

what does a parent say to a child tonight? >> i think part of reason i was having that reaction is my 11-year-old is apparently home with her father, she was watching and texted me she felt like there was no justice in america. and my big sister told me her 12-year-old son had gotten in bed with them tonight. and as i was listening to -- as i'm listening i'm thinking, here are your choices as an african-american parent. we live in such a racially segregated country, you're trying to do the best for your country so you think, we'll live in a black neighborhood, in a predominantly african-american community. we know those communities are often plagued with crime that takes the lives of african-american children. it is the reality that most

young black men die at the hands of other african-american men. so maybe you move to a community where trayvon martin's father was living, where you have the gated community, where you feel safe to let your kid walk at 7:00 over to the 7-eleven and pick up some candy during the game. the idea that community is not safe because they can be profiled and potentially victimized by violence as those not belonging there, i don't know that i can express, but i want to try, that it begins to feel like there is no place that you can be. no choice can you make. no home can you buy. no place is safe. this is what newtown families

meant when their children were in school and gunned down. i think that is a feeling so familiar and brought home by this case for so many of us, that that there is no safe place to be. >> as i'm listening to what you're saying and there is this obvious fear and the question about safety and kids shouldn't have to worry about their safety, i went into the neighborhood after the boston bombing, to the friends of the little boy who was killed, and none of them could sleep at night. there is also an insidiousness and a great loss you have to feel if you think that that fear keeps -- i remember when i met your daughter. you had her in the news room. she was awesome. >> yeah. >> does that fear inhibit the awesomeness? >> it's funny, we talked about this. i have two teenage boys, a 16-year-old and 13-year-old, and a daughter.

one of the things about moving from florida to new york is that they gained more freedom because we lived in a gated community in florida much like that in sanford. a gated community of homes. we did buy it because it was supposed to be somewhere where they could be safe, could walk around, where you didn't constantly worry about them. here in new york it's about the idea of them really get out of the eyesight, get on the subway, go to school, really go far from you. where we live, my sons do go to the store, they do walk around in my hoodie. my kids may be 90 pounds soaking wet, even my 16-year-old is such a bean pole, who could possibly find him threatening? even he said to me when i was coming in to talk about the trial, i said, what should i do if someone follows me? should i run? because if i have a gun, that wouldn't work, or should i fight? i didn't know what to say. now with the verdict in, what do

you tell your child? if you run from someone with a gun, that inherently puts you in place to be shot. if you fight, you could be put on trial for murder and suddenly your bean pole boy is a menacing murderer trying to kill somebody with a slab of concrete. now if they listen to hip-hop lyrics, it's something they thought of. not all tweet silly hip-hop, now they've remade your boy into something else. i just think about sybrina fulton -- i did a walk and talk sort of interview with her. i started off asking her, tell me her first memory of her child. she got four feet and she just had to stop. to her, this was a baby. this was a boy. to have this boy remade in court that was a would-be killer that had to be shot dead.

they saw people tweeting tray gone and put down like a rabid dog. to me as a mom, i'm completely flabbergasted what to tell my kids. i don't know what to tell them when i get home because i don't know how to answer, where can you go where people think you belong and it's okay to be there. now just police that follow you, but how you talk to them, respond to them, don't make any sudden movements, but we tell our boys that. but civilians, too? i don't know where to go with this. >> one of the places, we were talking to reverend al earlier, maybe two of the places within the legal system, we can start with that, is that there is a civil suit. that's one legal recourse. the second would be they're going to call for the justice department to reopen the civil rights case to look into whether the civil rights of trayvon martin were violated here.

talk about the legal recourses, lisa. >> first of all, george zimmerman now has the right to carry a loaded gun around in his holster, behind his pants, with one in the chamber, one in the safety, just like that night. he has the right to do that in florida. he can walk around. unencumbered by any legal problems. reverend al is right, the civil rights were putting on an investigation, that was put on hold. to claim those are different. george zimmerman can never be charged for these new crimes, even if new evidence was discovered, even if he stood up in front of the world, i'm guilty, ha, ha, nothing could happen. he's acquitted. his right to double jeopardy

attaches. he could never be tried for these exact crimes. different crimes, civil rights violations, that's possible. the civil case brought by the family can go forward. now, because he was acquitted he is in no longer of criminal prosecution which means he can be forced to testify. he didn't in this case. he could not be forced to testify in a criminal case. now that this is resolved, he can be forced to testify in the civil case. a good lawyer may ask him tough questions. may ask him, for example, to demonstrate how it is possible for trayvon martin to see a gun through his body. of course, the o.j. simpson case is the case he was acquitted by a criminal jury and later found civilly liable by a civil jury after he had to answer questions in that case. reverend al indicated and benjamin crump for the family indicated there are a lot more legal proceedings to come. >> whatever your opinion is

about this case and whether or not you think that the prosecution proved its case, i think there is one thing undeniable, that is the result of this case, there are 12-year-olds crawling into bed with their parents tonight out of fear. while there may be some more legal recourses, legal issues dealt with in the courts, other things are going on right now including a phone call among civil rights leaders about where do we go next. we'll talk about that when we come back. >> put their hoodies up. to everybody who said, i am trayv trayvon, his family express their heartfelt gratitude for helping them these past 17 months. [ male announcer ] this is bob, a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today.

[ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealand! xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. and with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you.

stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. ready to change your routine? ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. for more information including cost support options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com.

you're watching msnbc's continuing coverage of the george zimmerman trial after a jury in sanford, florida, delivered a verdict of not guilty. we've been showing you these pictures from san francisco, this peaceful martha has been growing, people holding signs, in support of trayvon martin. now we're hearing spontaneous demonstrations, peaceful, quiet, also in philadelphia, in milwaukee, in atlanta, in chicago. and tweets we got tonight from trayvon martin's father, tracy martin, one of them reads, thanks to everyone who were with us and who will be with us so we together can make sure this doesn't happen again. to the goal and trayvon martin's parents, melissa, who want his

death to mean something, what do you mean of these protests, it is 12:47, no matter where you are, even in san francisco, it's late at night, people just feel they have to come out. >> here's the good and the bad. the problem, as we were talking about crime, when we feel the system doesn't work, when any group of citizens feels the system doesn't work, you don't want to engage the person, you don't want to call the police. when you feel like calling the police and entering the criminal justice system is not going to get you justice. so part of what happens when that sense of trust is broken between a community and everything from the police department to the prosecutors and the judges and justice, is a sense that it becomes more dangerous in part because people aren't invested in it. on the other hand, that sense that people spontaneously need

to be outside, to be with each other, to take in the right to be in a public space, to say we will be heard, and particularly in a way that is clearly and obviously peaceful, there is a hope and there is a sense there that people are not just retreating here but willing to engage. >> we're going to take a break. we are going to come back with some final thoughts from our panel. again, we are watching a developing situation in cities all across america. people reacting to this verdict. this is a picture from san francisco. a peaceful march in support of trayvon martin. it's a brand new start. your chance to rise and shine. with centurylink as your trusted technology partner, you can do just that. with our visionary cloud infrastructure, global broadband network and custom communications solutions, your business is more reliable - secure - agile.

and with responsive, dedicated support, we help you shine every day of the week. woman: what do you mean, homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods? [ heart rate increases ] man: a few inches of water caused all this? [ heart rate increases ] woman #2: but i don't even live near the water. what you don't know about flood insurance may shock you -- including the fact that a preferred risk policy starts as low as $129 a year. for an agent, call the number that appears on your screen.

♪ i'm a hard, hard worker and i'm working every day. ♪ ♪ i'm a hard, hard worker and i'm saving all my pay. ♪ small businesses get up earlier and stay later. and to help all that hard work pay off, membership brings out millions of us on small business saturday and every day to make shopping small huge. this is what membership is. this is what membership does.

you're watching msnbc's

continuing coverage of the george zimmerman trial after a jury in sanford, florida, returned a verdict of not guilty. lisa bloom, joy ann reed and melissa harris-perry back with us. i'm sure we'll get a lot of analysis. jonathan capehart, a friend to all of us and frequently seen on msnbc, turned something out very quickly. he said before all this happened, we have to remember that it was a fight to get charges against george zimmerman. that he said benjamin crump said to him, we can live with a jury verdict. this is what he wrote tonight. tonight we have to live with that verdict. that's our justice system. we don't have to like the jury's decision but we must respect it. and we are seeing the people out in the streets peacefully protesting, respecting that decision. but your final thoughts, lisa bloom, after covering this for so many hours? >> well, he's right. that's a good, positive spin to put on it. let's be honest. this is not a good night for

civil rights in america. this has not been a good month for civil rights in america. first the voting rights act was gutted. what i say to my children on days like this, our work is not done. we need you. we need more civic engagement. our generation has not solved all of the problems. please connect, please help us, please join us in solving all these problems that still remain. >> i suppose that is one of the messages to the young people. we need your help, too. >> i think it is great to see people not giving into despair. seeing people out on the streets, expressing their pnz. it gives me hope. i think the other piece that we have really seen, the power of two things. the gun lobbying and stereotyping. when you combine those two things, it is absolutely deadly for our children no matter what neighborhood they're in. >> have we had enough -- how do we turn the conversation about racial profiling? because it did open up that conversation. >> it used to be a conversation about police racial profiling. i don't even know what to do

with the fact that we're now talking about civilians racially profiling and civilians, as long as it expands to where you can carry and then expand the laws to not only carry a firearm but discharge a firearm and then not going to jail. you're going to encourage more carrying, more use of the gun. encourage less restraint. you know that at least in states with strong powerful gun laws, you really have to way out if you discharge a fair article. all you have to do is make sure there is no one who witnessed it other than you. >> melissa harris perry, this conversation going on among civil rights leaders, including our own reverend al sharpton, what do we do with this, how do we move forward? your closing thoughts. >> lisa bloom made me smile. you may have heard me talk about on "lean forward, my father who was in the civil rights movement, always signed my birthday cards, the struggle

continues, even when i was a little kid. i basically heard lisa bloom who could not be more different from my father in physical features than anyone i can imagine basically say what we need to say to our children is what my father always said to me. i appreciate that idea. we pick up. the struggle continues. we're not done. the work isn't over. >> remarkably, that's pretty much what we heard from the family tonight. the family who in their grief, melissa, and again, we've said it so many times, but you just can't even imagine what they must be feeling right now, want this and need this to go forward in a peace and a half productive way. melissa? >> oh, i'm sorry. i think that's right. i think that the point, though, is that these losses are part of the moving forward. and we can expect to lose more even as we move toward a bigger win eventually. >> my thanks to melissa harris perry, lisa bloom, joie ann

reed. melissa will be back at 10:00 tomorrow morning with the melissa harris-perry show. stay tuned to msnbc throughout the night for the latest reaction to the verdict in the george zimmerman trial. i'm chris jansing. ♪ [ villain ] well mr. baldwin... it appears our journey has come to a delightful end. then i better use the capital one purchase eraser to redeem my venture miles for this trip. purchase eraser? it's the easy way to erase any recent travel expense. i just pick a charge, like my flight with a few taps, it's taken care of. impressive baldwin. does it work for hotels? absolutely thank goodness. mrs. villain and i are planning our... you scare me. and i like it. let's go what's in your wallet? she was a picky eater. well now i'm her dietitian... ...and last year, she wasn't eating so well. so i recommended boost complete nutritional drink to help her get the nutrition she was missing. and now she drinks it every day. well, it tastes great! [ male announcer ] boost drink has 26

essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones, and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. and now boost comes in two delicious, new bars. look for them next to boost drinks. [ dietitian ] now, nothing keeps mom from doing what she loves... ...being my mom. vietnam in 1972. [ all ] fort benning, georgia in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve military members, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. i don't miss out... you sat out most of our game yesterday! asthma doesn't affect my job... you were out sick last week. my asthma doesn't bother my family... you coughed all through our date night! i hardly use my rescue inhaler at all.

what did you say? how about - every day? coping with asthma isn't controlling it. test your level of control at asthma.com, then talk to your doctor. there may be more you could do for your asthma. [ herbie ] there's no doubt about it brent, a real gate keeper. here's kevin, the new boyfriend. lamb to the slaughter. that's right brent. mom's baked cookies but he'll be lucky to make it inside. and here's the play. oh dad did not see this coming. [ crowd cheering ] now if kevin can just seize the opportunity.

it's looking good, herbie. he's seen it. it's all over. nothing but daylight. yes i'd love a cookie. [ male announcer ] make a powerful first impression. the all-new nissan sentra. ♪ in and for seminole county, florida, state of florida versus george zimmerman. verdict, we the jury find george zimmerman not guilty, so say we all. >> after some 16 hours of deliberation, a jury in sanford, florida, delivers its verdict in the trial of george zimmerman. the man now acquitted in the shooting death of trayvon martin. good morning and welcome to this special edition of "weekends. we begin with members of george zimmerman's defense team