Bruce Springsteen Trayvon Martin: E Street Band Rocker Decidates ‘American Skin (41 Shots)’ to Florida Teen Killed by George Zimmerman [VIDEO]
Bruce Springsteen performed "American Skin (41 Shots) and dedicated the song to Trayvon Martin during a show in Limerick, Ireland on Tuesday, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.
Springsteen reportedly saw a fan with a sign that said "American Skin" and performed the song later in the night.
"He said, 'Where is that sign?' and grabbed it. He then said, 'I want to send this out as a letter back home. For justice for Trayvon Martin,'" the article states.
Springsteen originally wrote the song after the shooting death of Amadou Diallo in New York City in 1999. Four New York City police officers said they thought Diallo had pulled a gun on them, but he was unarmed. He had actually taken his wallet out of his pocket. Police fired 41 bullets, 19 of which hit the 23-year-old.
Martin was a Florida teenager killed by George Zimmerman, a member of a neighborhood watch group, in 2012. Zimmerman was acquitted last weekend of murder and manslaughter charges in the case.
The verdict sparked a firestorm of controversy and outrage around the country. Several celebrities have publicly expressed their disagreement with the jury's decision.
Stevie Wonder even went so far as to boycott the state of Florida and any other area with a "Stand Your Ground" law, the controversial law that allows one to use force in self-defense when one feels his or her safety is in danger without an obligation to retreat first.