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Zimmerman protests enter 5th night in Los Angeles as people say they seek justice for Trayvon Martin (Update)

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UPDATE 8:41 p.m.: Protesters return to La Cienega Park

The peaceful protest that started at La Cienega Park in Beverly Hills and made its way down Wilshire Boulevard has now returned to the park. Beverly Hills police there have been no problems. About 100 people participated in the march.

Some protesters are still gathered at the park, reading poems and making speeches.

PREVIOUSLY: People in Los Angeles continue to protest the not guilty verdict in the George Zimmerman trial. On Wednesday, protesters took their message of justice for slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin to La Cienega Park in Beverly Hills.

From there, the protests marched down Wilshire Boulevard and through Beverly Hills' swanky Rodeo Drive.

Organizers had planned for a peaceful rally – dubbing it "Justice for Trayvon Martin, Los Angeles." They say it was intended to call "on [the] local and national government to End the practice of racial profiling that leads to the killing and imprisonment of Black Bodies." 

RELATED: Teens use beats and rhymes to process, organize in aftermath of Zimmerman acquittal

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Jasmyne Cannick, who says she was at the protest as an observer, liked the idea of moving it out of the historically back neighborhoods of South Los Angeles to a more diverse area.

“If you are going to do a protest, especially on an issue like this, I think it’s smart to take it to a neighborhood and an area where the minds of those people need to be changed,” Cannick said. “Out here in Beverly Hills, where you’re dealing with so many different ethnicities and races, some of whom probably don’t ever think about the lives of black men, I think it’s a great spot to do an event like this.”

The event marks the fifth night that protests have been seen in Los Angeles over the verdict in the controversial case. Some vandalism and assaults were reported during protests Monday night near Leimert Park by what police say was a "splinter group" of about 150 people.

Follow KPCC's Rina Palta for live tweets from the rally:

Tweets by @KPCCrina911

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