Protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles again on Monday to demonstrate against the acquittal of George Zimmerman by a court in Sanford, Florida. Police stood ready with batons to keep the crowds under control, as several protesters were arrested the night before after refusing to disperse.

Zimmerman's acquittal on Saturday was decried by civil rights leaders and sparked protests in several cities, including Boston, San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles.

Zimmerman's lawyers argued he acted in self-defence in February 2012, when they say Trayvon Martin, 17, attacked Zimmerman inside a gated community in central Florida. They claim civil rights advocates wrongly injected the issue of race.

Critics contend 29-year-old Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, wrongly suspected Martin of being a criminal because he was black.

Zimmerman called police to report a suspicious looking person, then left his car with a fully loaded pistol concealed in his waistband. A fight ensued, in which Zimmerman suffered a bloody nose and head injuries, and Zimmerman shot Martin once in the heart.

The jurors, who deliberated for 16 hours over two days, found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter. Report by Mark Morris..