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By Jessica Eggert2015-08-18 20:36:01 UTC

In a bromance of epic proportions, George Zimmerman, the infamous night watchman who killed Trayvon Martin, has teamed up with Andy Hallinan, the the owner of a Florida gun shop that banned Muslims, in a bid to sell a Zimmerman-produced painting of the Confederate flag.

The unlikely duo became friends after Hallinan declared his shop, Florida Gun Supply, a "Muslim-free zone" and faced wide derision in the media. When the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced it would sue Hallinan for discriminating against Muslims, Zimmerman called Hallinan and offered him his support.

And so a plan was hatched: The two would sell $50 prints of a Zimmerman-produced painting of the Confederate flag painted over the American flag no less and be entered into a chance to win the original version, which they estimate to be worth at least $100,000.

"I didn't want to see you give up the fight simply for financial reasons," said Zimmerman in a "mini-documentary" announcing the partnership, adding that it was the anonymous donations by hundreds of Americans that helped fuel his own legal battle after he shot and killed Martin.

CAIR is suing you and they have endless resources, they have tons of money and I just wanted to do my part," he says in the video, which features the two walking along a nature path, talking about their friendship and laughing while Zimmerman smokes a cigar.

Zimmerman says the Confederate flag painting was done in honor of Andy. It includes a caption "The 2nd protects the 1st" which Zimmerman describes as a double entendre: The Confederate battle flag protects the American flag and the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms, protects the first, the right to free speech.

On Twitter, he added that he painted the Confederate flag over the American one "because I believe that anything can stand with the American flag behind it."

"We have to take action, patriots," says Hallinan. "If you want to see our message spread, please visit georgenandy.com and show your support by purchasing one of our prints."

The two said they would split the proceeds to support their various legal funds, living expenses and advancing their mission to change the country. In the documentary, the two also said that a portion of the proceeds would go to the Boys & Girls Club to benefit what Hallinan said is a generation that will be lost if we dont do whats right.

One day after the video was posted, Hallinan told Mashable that they would no longer be donating any money to the organization.

"It seems we won't be able to donate to the Boys & Girls Club," he wrote. "They emailed me all pissed off for associating their name. We were just trying to do a nice thing for them. We'll pick another cause to donate to."

The Boys & Girls Club confirmed that they don't want anything to do with the Florida gun shop owner's fundraiser, telling Mashable in a statement, "Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and its local affiliates have no knowledge of this plan, were not approached about and did not approve the use of their name, and have issued a cease-and-desist order to the owner."

Hallinan drew national media attention when he announced that his gun shop in Florida would refuse to serve Muslims after a man shot and killed four U.S. Marines and one Navy sailor in July in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations sued Hallinan and asked the court to prohibit Florida Gun Supply from discriminating against people on the basis of religion.

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In a video shared online, the owner of Florida Gun Supply says that by selling the prints he's fighting back against the "cultural cleansing" of American history.

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USA Today Network Lori Grisham, USA TODAY Network 4:40 p.m. EDT August 18, 2015

Reports surfaced Thursday about a "Muslim-free" gun store in Inverness, Florida, that is now selling prints of the Confederate battle flag painted by George Zimmerman. USA TODAY

George Zimmerman painted this Confederate flag image to support a Florida gun shop owner that declared a "Muslim-free zone."(Photo: Florida Gun Supply)

A gun store in Florida sued for declaringa"Muslim-freezone"is now selling prints of a Confederate flagpainted by George Zimmerman.

Zimmerman, who was found not guilty of murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martinin 2013, painted the Confederate flag when he heard gun store owner AndyHallinan is being sued by a Florida chapter of theCouncil onAmerican-Islamic Relations, according to a statement on Florida Gun Supply's website.

The prints are about $50 each and all are signed by Zimmerman.Everyone who buys one will be entered 50 timesin a free drawing to win the original painting. The Confederate flag is painted over an American flag and on the back of the original painting the outline of the underpainting can be seen, according to the store's website.

Florida Gun Supply posted a "mini-documentary"explaining the reason for selling the prints, saying that the store isfighting back against the "cultural cleansing" of American history.

USA TODAY

Group sues Fla. gun shop that declared 'Muslim Free Zone'

"They're starting with the Confederate flag, but then they're going to remove statues, rename schools, rename streets and try to cleanse the history in America," Hallinan said in the video.

Much of the video blames newsmedia for creating fear and dividing the American public.Hallinan cites Zimmerman's case,who claimed self-defense in 2012after he shot Trayvon, an unarmed African-American teenager, as an example of skewed media coverage.

"(Mass media) intentionally incited hatred and race when the entire issue wasn't about race in the first place," Hallinan said.

In the video, Zimmerman said he contacted Hallinan after the gun store owner gained media attention for publishing a video online that said he would no longer serve Muslim customersfollowing ashootingin Chattanooga,Tenn., that left five service members dead. The gunman, 24-year-oldMohammod Abdulazeez, was Muslim.

Florida Gun Supply in Inverness, Fla., has declared its store is a "Muslim-free zone" in response to the shooting in Chattanooga, Tenn. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

Zimmermanpainted the Confederate flag in Hallinan's honor to help him raise money for legal fees,according to the video. A statement on the store's website said they plan to split the proceeds.

The Confederate flagprint"exposes the twin evils of racism and Islamophobia," CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper told USA TODAY Network.

"I just think its a clear indication of the overlap between traditional racism targeting African Americans in the form of a Confederate flag and Islamophobia," he said.

CAIR identifies itself as the "nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization." In January, the group appealed to the United Arab Emirates to be removed from that nation's list of designated terrorist groups. The group is not on the U.S. list of terrorist groups.

In 2009, however, a federal judge said in a ruling unsealed a year later that CAIR was tied to Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza and which is on the U.S. terror list."The government has produced ample evidence to establish the associations of CAIR" and other groups "with Hamas," U.S. District Court Judge Jorge Solis said in his July 1, 2009, ruling.

Hallinan told USA TODAY Network in an interview that so far the gun shop hasexperienced a "huge outpouring of support" from the public in response to the Zimmerman print.

Hallinan was not sure how many prints had sold, but said the number right now is fewer than 20.

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Read the original here:
'Muslim-free' gun store sells George Zimmerman Confederate ...

George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman acquitted of murdering Trayvon Martin, has teamed up with the owner of a Florida gun shop to sell prints of his new Confederate flag painting.

According to Time magazine, Florida Gun Supply owner Andy Hallinan said in a July YouTube video that his store is a "Muslim-free zone" and that he "will not arm and train those who wish to do harm to my fellow patriots." In response, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) sued for discrimination.

In order to help Hallinan with his legal defense, Zimmerman is now selling $50 prints of his newest painting. Each buyer also has a chance to win the original painting, which could be worth around $100,000 based on the sales of his blue American flag painting, which sold for that amount on eBay in 2013.

"George started painting an American Flag on this canvas, but heard about Andy getting sued by CAIR while he was working on the painting," reads a description from the gun store website. "George decided to scrap the original American Flag painting and repaint it with a Confederate [Battle] Flag."

On Monday, Florida Gun Supply released a mini-documentary of Zimmerman on YouTube.

"I didn't want to see you give up the fight simply for financial reasons," Zimmerman says to Hallinan in the video. "I know that you're up against CAIR, and various organizations. CAIR is suing you. They have endless resources. They have tons of money. I just wanted to do my part."

The painting is inscribed with Zimmerman's signature on the bottom, and the flag features the phrase "The 2nd Protects Our 1st," presumably referring to the Second and First Amendments.

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Confederate Flag Painting by George Zimmerman Aims to Raise ...

George Zimmerman is selling prints of the Confederate Flag for $50 each to help raise money for legal fees for himself and the owner of a Muslim-Free gun store in Florida, according to reports.

READ: George Zimmerman Involved In Florida Shooting

The former neighborhood watchman and the owner ofFlorida Gun Supply,Andy Hallinan, partnered up when Hallinan came under fire for a video he made last month in which he said he wouldnt sell firearms to Muslims.

I will not arm and train those who wish to do harm to my fellow patriots, Hallinan said.

After learning of Hallinans policy, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) contacted the Department of Justice to investigate the store for discrimination and violating Federal law. Once Zimmerman heard of the lawsuit, he offered his support to Hallinan.

READ: George Zimmerman Calls Trayvon Martin Shooting Divine Order

Labeling everyone and anyone that has a Confederate flag as a racist is just not right, Zimmerman said to Hallinan. Thats one of the reasons I chose to reach out to you and see what I can do to help.

The money raised from the selling of prints will go to support their legal funds, living expenses and advancing their mission to change the country, according to the stores website.

Zimmerman, who shot and killed Trayvon Martin in 2012, was later acquitted of all charges.

Continued here:
George Zimmerman Is Painting Confederate Flags To Raise Money ...

Last Updated May 11, 2015 5:30 PM EDT

LAKE MARY, Fla. -- George Zimmerman was apparently not the shooter in a gunfire incident Monday in central Florida, police said Monday.

The man who called 911 to report he was involved in a shooting with Zimmerman appears to be the same person involved in a road rage incident with the former neighborhood watch volunteer last year.

The shooting took place around 12:45 p.m. on Lake Mary Boulevard near Rinehart Road in Lake Mary, north of Orlando. Witnesses told CBS affiliate WKMG the driver of an Infiniti opened fire on Zimmerman, who turned into a retail center on Waymont Court to get he

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A Florida man, Ken Cornell, says he spoke to the man who allegedly shot at George Zimmerman's car. CBSN's Parvati Shallow and Vladimir Duthiers t...

A lawyer for Zimmerman, Don West, told CBS News Radio that Zimmerman was shot at while driving and was injured, but not by a bullet.

West told WKMG a bullet missed Zimmerman's head, but his client was sprayed with glass from his vehicle's windshield and other debris.

He told the station Zimmerman was not seriously injured and was treated and released from a hospital.

Bianca Gillett, a public information officer for the Lake Mary Police, named the second man in the incident as Matthew Apperson. She said Zimmerman flagged down police, and Apperson later called 911.

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Cops: George Zimmerman shot at in his car in Lake Mary ...