(CNSNews.com) – Attorney General Eric Holder praised
left-wing activist Rev. Al Sharpton at the opening of the National
Action Network (NAN) convention on Wednesday, and also stressed that
the Justice Department is conducting a thorough investigation of the
fatal Trayvon Martin shooting that “will examine the facts and the
law.”
Sharpton, president of NAN and host of MSNBC’s Politics Nation,
has led several rallies demanding the arrest of George Zimmerman, who
reportedly shot Martin on Feb. 26. On Mar. 30 in Sanford, Fla., where
the shooting occurred, Sharpton pledged that his group would “move to the next level if Zimmerman isn’t arrested.”
At the opening of NAN’s 14th annual convention in
Washington, D.C., the attorney general first thanked MSNBC’s Rev.
Sharpton “for your partnership, your friendship, and your tireless
efforts to speak out for the voiceless, to stand up for the powerless,
and to shine a light on the problems we must solve, and the promises we
must fulfill.”
Concerning Trayvon Martin, Holder said,
“I know that many of you are greatly -- and rightly -- concerned about
the recent shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a young man
whose future has been lost to the ages."
"As most of you know, three weeks ago, the Department of Justice
launched an investigation into this incident, which remains open at this
time, and prevents me from talking in detail about this matter," he
said.
“Although I cannot share where current efforts will lead us from
here, I can assure you that, in this investigation – and in all cases –
we will examine the facts and the law,” said Holder. “If we find
evidence of a potential federal criminal civil rights crime, we will
take appropriate action. And, at every step, the facts and the law
will guide us forward.The National Action Network, which Sharpton founded, has held
multiple rallies about the Martin shooting, largely critical of shooter
George Zimmerman, irrespective of an ongoing investigation.
Zimmerman, who has not been arrested in the case, said he acted in
self-defense after following Martin on Feb. 26, the night Martin was
killed. A Florida special prosecutor announced on Monday that the case
will not be taken before a Florida grand jury, though the investigation
will continue. The FBI and Justice Department are also pursuing their
investigations.
MSNBC’s Sharpton has led several rallies, shouting “Arrest Zimmerman Now!” and has called for civil disobedience and an “occupation” in Sanford, Fla., if an arrest is not made.

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