ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A vigil for Markeis McGlockton turned chaotic Sunday morning.
- People gathered to remember Markeis McGlockton and to protest Stand Your Ground
- Protesters encountered angry drivers, some who tried to hit them
- McGlockton's mother and siblings present for the vigil
Residents gathered at the intersection of Haines Road North and 38 Avenue North to protest Florida's Stand Your Ground law.
Protesters encountered angry drivers, who nearly hit some of them.
"To stand for justice isn’t always a place of safety but God gives us courage to always do the right thing," said Reverend Andy Oliver, the pastor at Allendale United Methodist Church. "Disrupt traffic to send a clear message that this law is disrupting the lives of people and it needs to be repealed."
The message among protesters was standing together to get rid of the law. They are calling on lawmakers to make changes.
"I fear what's going to come if we just continue to let this law go the way it is," said Linda Nelson, a St. Petersburg resident. "I'm very afraid. I'm very afraid for myself and others."
Before they joined in prayer at the intersection, community members gathered for service inside the church. Sitting in the front pew was McGlockton's mother and siblings.
"I know that it meant a lot to them today to be in solidarity with people of faith," said Oliver.
St. Petersburg Police officers responded to the protest.
After a few minutes in the street, protesters moved to the sidewalks with their signs.