By Brentin Mock

The youth organizers of the Dream Defenders civil rights collective stood their ground and slept on the grounds of the Florida state capitol building for a full month in response to the “not guilty” verdict for George Zimmerman for killing Trayvon Martin. That chapter is now drawing to a close, they announced today. They are now embarking on new actions across the state to draw attention to unjust policies that the youth leaders say made Trayvon’s death and Zimmerman’s acquittal possible: Stand Your Ground laws, school-to-prison pipeline policies and racial profiling. The Defenders begin their new journey today by marching to Gov. Rick Scott’s home to deliver an “eviction notice.”

Former NAACP chairman Julian Bond was present with the Dream Defenders as they made the announcement and he said the youth activists were “ending a protest because [they] are starting a movement.”

“We came here to the capitol because we wanted what we all deserve—a seat at the table,” said Dream Defenders director Phillip Agnew at a press conference this afternoon, “and we said we were willing to stay here until our work was done.”

Read More Dream Defenders Leave Capitol, Heading for Governor’s Home – COLORLINES.