Supporters of accused murderer Karmelo Anthony have gathered outside a Texas courthouse to demonstrate in support of the black teenager during the opening day of his trial in the 2025 killing of a white high school football player named Austin Metcalf.
Video taken of the protests shows supporters chanting that “self-defense is not a crime,” which is the principal defense being pushed by 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony’s legal team.
In April of last year, Anthony allegedly argued with fellow student and football player Austin Metcalf at the high school in Frisco, Texas, and suddenly pulled a large knife out of his gym bag and stabbed the unarmed Metcalf in the chest, killing him.
Now, as the trial begins, protesters are gathering to support the accused murderer.
WATCH:
The belligerent protesters have already been seen on video confronting counter protesters.
In another case, Anthony’s supporters were recorded hurling racial epithets at opponents.
Activists are also angry this week after jury selection ended without a single black juror chosen to sit on the case.
Anthony’s legal team is throwing the race card and saying that the three black jurors they chose were struck down by the prosecution for racial reasons. But prosecutors said they struck the three potential black jurors because all three were schoolteachers and the case concerned a school and its policies. The judge agreed with the prosecution’s argument and empaneled the all-white jury over the protests of defense lawyers.
Social media users have also chimed in about the protests:
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: Facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston, or at X/Twitter @WTHuston