Hempstead to rally for Trayvon Martin

Hempstead Village officials, community leaders and residents will rally Saturday in support of the family of Trayvon Martin and will condemn the killing of the Florida teenager.

Mayor Wayne Hall and village officials will host the rally at 1 p.m. in the Hempstead Village Hall parking lot, on 99 Nichols Ct., to protest the slaying of Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old who was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26. This will be the first rally in connection with the incident to be held on Long Island, village officials said.

Several elected officials and community leaders from across Long Island are expected to attend. The event will also feature student speakers and a performance by the Hempstead High School choir. Many are expected to wear hooded sweatshirts to protest racial stereotypes used to justify the incident, village officials said.

Organizers support bringing to justice Martin's killer, George Zimmerman, 28, village officials said. Zimmerman told Sanford police he fired in self-defense.