Outrage over the acquittal of George Zimmerman over the shooting of an unarmed black teenager poured from street demonstrations and church pulpits as protesters called for justice for the victim.
Trayvon Martin’s killing unleashed a national debate over racial profiling, self-defence and equal justice.
In New York City, hundreds of protesters marched into Times Square, zigzagging through the streets to avoid police lines. Sign-carrying marchers thronged the busy intersection, chanting: “Justice for Trayvon Martin!”
In San Francisco and Los Angeles – where an earlier protest was dispersed with beanbag rounds – police closed streets as protesters marched to condemn Mr Zimmerman’s acquittal.
Hours after the verdict, demonstrators gathered in Washington chanting, “No justice, no peace.” One protester carried a sign that read, “Stop criminalizing black men.”
Civil rights leaders, including Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, urged peace in the wake of the verdict. Rev Jackson said the legal system “failed justice,” but that violence is not the answer.
Most protests were peaceful.
“While the verdict may be legal, a system that doesn’t take into account what happened is a broken legal system,” said Jennifer Lue, 24, an Asian-American resident of New York.
“Everyone should feel about this, whether you’re Asian-American or African-American.”