BOISE, Idaho — A gun and law conference taking place at the Riverside Hotel this weekend has been canceled, according to the hotel's Instagram page. George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter in the killing of Trayvon Martin, was scheduled to speak at the conference.
The Idaho Press reports the conference, called the “Lethal Force Gun Laws 2021,” was scheduled to run Nov. 5-8 at the hotel, according to the event’s webpage, which has since been removed.
Conference organizer JB Herren of the Old School Gun School did not immediately return a request for comment.
Hotel staff learned that Zimmerman would be speaking because of people reaching out on social media, according to the hotel's Instagram post.
“We recognize the immense pain that George Zimmerman has inflicted on many of our guests, team-members and community,” the post says. “With their respect and safety as our priority, we have canceled our event."
The hotel is not usually provided a list of speakers ahead of a scheduled event, but that will now be a requirement going forward, the post said.
Hotel management staff did not immediately return a request for comment.
However, in a statement from a hotel spokesperson provided to The 208, the Riverside Hotel thanked everyone on social media who alerted the hotel about Zimmerman's conference and said they're "unequivocally opposed to providing George Zimmerman a platform."
According to the conference's webpage, which has been taken down, the early bird seating price was $3,995 for four days, or $4,995 otherwise. The price included a five-night stay at the hotel and all meals, “including select private lunches and dinner with our speakers,” the conference’s webpage had said.
“WHY is this Conference so important?” the page said. “Because we help good people create a plan to DOMINATE and END an otherwise inescapable deadly assault and THEN, we help them learn how to Defend and Justify their actions in the courtroom.”
"Have you ever wondered what really happened that night?" the conference’s page said, referencing Zimmerman's case. "The only person that knows the absolute truth of what really happened is George Zimmerman himself," the page said, and that Zimmerman would be explaining "step-by-step" what happened.
The killing of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black teenager, garnered national attention in 2012. Martin was staying with family in Sanford, Florida, when Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, called 911 to report a suspicious person, according to CNN. The 911 dispatcher instructed Zimmerman to stay in his car, but Zimmerman did not comply. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots. Martin was unarmed. Zimmerman later alleged he had shot Martin out of self-defense and faced being charged with manslaughter or second-degree murder. In the summer of 2013, Zimmerman was cleared of all charges, according to the Associated Press.
The death of Martin and the clearing of Zimmerman played a role in the later development of the Black Lives Matter movement, according to NPR.
The hotel spokesperson said in a statement that Zimmerman "is not welcome at The Riverside Hotel."
The hotel was unaware that Zimmerman was scheduled to speak at the conference and said they will now require a complete list of speakers at any events that take place there.
"We will always stand up for what we believe is right," officials wrote.
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