Protests against police and racism spread across Mississippi

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Hundreds of protesters march through downtown Jackson, Miss., in response to the recent death of George Floyd, and to highlight police brutality nationwide including Mississippi, Saturday, June 6, 2020. The Mississippi branch of Black Lives Matter held the rally and march and also encouraged the almost 1,000 participants to push leaders to seek long term solutions to issues plaguing the African American community. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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A protester’s face mask has imprinted “I can’t breathe,” and the time George Floyd had a police officer’s knee on his neck while in police custody, as others hoist signs during a Black Lives Matter rally and march in downtown Jackson, Miss., Saturday, June 6, 2020. The rally was in part to highlight police brutality nationwide including Mississippi. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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Emilia Gunter, 22, left, and Abigail Launius, 21, both of Madison, hold signs during a Black Lives Matter rally and march in downtown Jackson, Miss., in response to the recent death of George Floyd, and to highlight police brutality nationwide including Mississippi, Saturday, June 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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Hundreds of protesters stand in silent protest for almost 9 minutes in response to the recent death of George Floyd in police custody, Saturday, June 6, 2020, in Jackson, Miss. The Mississippi branch of Black Lives Matter held the rally and march to bring light to police brutality nationwide and in Mississippi and also to encourage long term solutions to issues plaguing the African American community. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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A protesters raises the power salute during a rally and march in downtown Jackson, Miss., in response to the recent death of George Floyd in police custody, and to highlight police brutality nationwide including Mississippi, Saturday, June 6, 2020. The Mississippi branch of Black Lives Matter coordinated the events to also encouraged the participants to push leaders to seek long term solutions to issues plaguing the African American community. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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Protesters kneel in silent protest for almost 9 minutes Saturday, June 6, 2020, in Jackson, Miss., in response to the death of George Floyd. The Mississippi branch of Black Lives Matter held the peaceful rally and march to bring light to police brutality nationwide and also to encourage long term solutions to issues plaguing the African American community. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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Hundreds of protesters respond during a rally and march in downtown Jackson, Miss., in response to the recent death of George Floyd, and to highlight police brutality nationwide including Mississippi, Saturday, June 6, 2020. The Mississippi branch of Black Lives Matter coordinated the events to also encouraged the participants to push leaders to seek long term solutions to issues plaguing the African American community. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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Hundreds of protesters gather in downtown Jackson, Miss., in response to the recent death of George Floyd, and to highlight police brutality nationwide including Mississippi, Saturday, June 6, 2020. The Mississippi branch of Black Lives Matter held the rally and march to also encouraged the participants to push leaders to seek long term solutions to issues plaguing the African American community. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Thousands of people protested police brutality and racial injustice in Mississippi’s capital city on Saturday, one of a series of protests across the state.

Hundreds also gathered in Starkville and Gulfport, while demonstrators continued to call for the resignation of Petal Mayor Hal Marx over comments he made about the death of George Floyd. In Oxford, the University of Mississippi athletic department held a private event.

In Jackson, protesters spoke outside the governor’s mansion, one of hundreds of rallies nationwide organized after the death of Floyd in Minneapolis and of others who died at the hands of police.

“When Mississippi changes, America changes. When America changes, the world changes. And we’re about to get moving on change,” organizer Calvert White told the crowd, according to the Clarion Ledger.

Among those in the crowd were Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy.

The march traveled past Jackson’s city hall and the state capitol. Marchers stood in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the time that an officer knelt on Floyd’s neck.

One demand that got loudest cheers was demand to remove all confederate symbols including the battle emblem from state flag, which was flying at the governor’s mansion and state capitol on Saturday.

Marchers also demanded prosecutors reopen the case of Ricky Ball, a black man shot by police in Columbus in 2015. Republican Attorney General Lynn Fitch dismissed the charges last week. They’re also seeking the resignation of Petal Mayor Hal Marx, who dismissed Floyd’s death on social media by writing in part “if you can talk, you can breathe.” Marx has apologized, but has dismissed calls to step down, including those made by aldermen. Another in a series of protests was held Saturday in Petal.

In Starkville, a line of hundreds marched down Main Street. Organizer Jala Douglas told the Starkville Daily News she was overwhelmed by the turnout.

“Way more people than I expected, this is beautiful,” she said.

In Gulfport, people participated in a unity rally that included ministers, city officials and Gulfport Police Chief Leonard Papania.

Marcus and Denise Whitfield said they brought their young son, Caiden, to support unity and change, but also to support police officers who respect those in the community.

“We want to show unity among one another to not only support the fight for justice for black lives but for all lives that matter,” Marcus Whitfield told the Sun Herald. “Yes, we are out here fighting for our black lives but also for every life as well.”

“We are paying attention to black boys right now because that is the house that’s burning,” he said. “I think if black people knew that a fair justice would be served, then you wouldn’t be seeing the riots and protests that have come to a boiling point in some communities.”

The Ole Miss athletics department told The Oxford Eagle that it held its private event because of fears of spreading the COVID-19 respiratory disease.

“Today, we gather here, to put a point on the scoreboard for justice,” said women’s basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. “Today, we gather here in honor of freedom seekers past, in solidarity with those justice seekers present. Today, we gather here to say unapologetically, black lives matter.”