A large crowd attended a march Friday in Vicksburg, ahead of a demonstration planned for Jackson. The rallies are among those being held around the country in the wake of George Floyd's death at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. The march, which was organized by community leaders and the NAACP, began at the Vicksburg Police Department and continued to Jackson and Washington streets, where a number of people were scheduled to speak. "I think we should not only march peacefully, but walk away with a new beginning of hope," Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs said. "A new beginning of how we are going to address some of the systemic problems in the country. How we are going to walk away with a movement." Planning is underway for a Saturday march in Jackson. Among other things, there will be a call for an end to police brutality and recognition that black lives matter.Calvert White and Maisie Brown, with Black Lives Matter Mississippi, are the lead organizers of the demonstration, which is set to begin at 3 p.m. outside the governor’s mansion. Gov. Tate Reeves urged those attending the demonstration to be mindful that COVID-19 is still a threat. Reeves said the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency will provide masks that will be distributed by the Mississippi Highway Patrol to those that need them."There are indications that we might have heat injuries with the protesters. I encourage everyone who is out to have water and hydrate if they’re going to be outside protesting," said MEMA Director Greg Michel. The demonstrations held in Mississippi have been peaceful, but that has not been the case in some other cities around the nation. Members of the Mississippi National Guard were deployed to Washington, D.C., to assist local law enforcement in protecting demonstrators and property in case of violence or vandalism, state officials said.