March for the 'Jena 6'

Jena 6 Protest Photos (ABC News)

Times-Picayune: Thousands march on Jena

JENA - Thousands marched through the streets Thursday swelling the population of this small town in support of the Jena Six. Some protestors held hands, and walked eight abreast, shouting "No Justice No Peace," and singing "I'm Black and I'm Proud."

Hailing from as far as Philadelphia and England, they rode buses overnight that caravanned into the town around sunrise to rally behind a group of black teenagers who had faced attempted murder charges for beating a white classmate in December.

Louisiana NAACP marshals kept order, made sure rows were spaced out, and wouldn't let the crowd move until they complied. Members of the NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership Council and Nation of Islam locked hands on both sides of the marchers, at points, guiding the procession through the throngs of people lining the roadway.

"Just as Selma was about the right to vote, and Little Rock was about the right to first class schools, this is about fairness in the criminal justice, which is increasingly unfair," said the Rev. Jesse Jackson. "Criminal justice has become an industry ... as in Angola."

Southern Poverty Law Center Seeks Justice for 'Jena 6'