March On Capitol Shows Growing Furor Over Boot Camp Death

POSTED: 3:39 pm EDT April 21, 2006

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Gov. Jeb Bush and state lawmakers face a rapidly growing furor over the death of a boy at a juvenile boot camp, with about 1,500 demonstrators accusing authorities Friday of a cover-up, and Florida's chief law enforcement officer resigning under fire.
The protesters, including the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, demanded answers in the death of Martin Lee Anderson, who was punched and kicked by guards in a videotaped altercation. A first autopsy found he died from complications of a blood disorder, but the protesters believe the encounter with guards killed him.

While Bush says the protests haven't affected how he's approached the case, the reverends and students think they've brought more change in the past three days than seen in the four months since the teen's death, including the resignation of Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Guy Tunnell.

Students say their protests also got Bush to meet with Anderson's parents, Sharpton and Jackson, and had Bush to look into missing e-mails in the case.

"They would not be talking if you were not marching," Sharpton told the group as they assembled on the Capitol steps after marching roughly four blocks, chanting "Justice delayed is justice denied" and "If you don't act, we will come back."

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