More than 100 people marched the streets of Port Gibson Saturday in protest of the way Otis Byrd’s death has been investigated.

“What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Right now. No justice, no peace,” the protestors chanted.

The march culminated with a program held in front of the Claiborne County Courthouse, headed by Evan Doss, president of Claiborne County NAACP.

“The reason we did this is because we want justice, and we want justice now,” he said. “We’re not going to accept suicide. That’s just not there.”

Doss said if 30 FBI agents in town can’t come up with an answer in two to three weeks, someone needs to call the president and ask for 30 more.

Byrd, 54, was found March 19, hanging by a bed sheet from a tree limb behind the home he rented on Rodney Road. He had been reported missing since early March.

The FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney’s office, as well as the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are investigating the hanging.

FBI Agent in Charge Don Alway previously said an autopsy and investigation would determine if Byrd’s death was homicide or suicide.

“The community deserves answers and certainly the family deserves answers,” Alway previously said.

“We deserve justice now, and that’s why we’re going to continue this protest,” Doss said. “We will not let this die until justice is given here. We will continue to demand justice in this situation.”

Claiborne County Supervisor Edwin Smith said people need closure and answers.

“I’d like to apologize on behalf of the county,” he said. “These people deserve action. We’ve been disrespected. If they can look at a satellite and get your tag number, we can surely get some closure on this.”

Community member Stephanie Atlas said her husband worked with Byrd, and she doesn’t believe he committed suicide.

“He wasn’t that type of person, so I wanted to come and support the family,” she said. “He didn’t take his own life.”

Jacqueline Marsaw, president of the Natchez chapter of the National Action Network said she and some other chapter members showed up to support the fight for justice.

“It was nice and had nice crowds,” she said. “The speakers were exceptional, and all they said was true.”

Claiborne County Sheriff Marvin Lucas said people should wait and to be patient.

“All I ask is that people let the authorities do their job and don’t feed into that foolishness, that hearsay,” he said.

National Chair of the New Black Panther Party Krystal Muhammad said the group was there for justice for Byrd. The group held its own community meeting later in the afternoon on the steps of the Claiborne County Courthouse.

“We know that Otis Byrd was lynched,” she said. “We’re not going to let it just be a cover-up. We went and looked at the scene ourselves. It’s impossible that he lynched himself, and we’re not going to let Mississippi get away with their old Mississippi ways.”

Muhammad said the morning protest was a prayer vigil.

“I think it was a nice docile gathering,” she said. “They need to have the fire for justice. We’re building with the community.”

Muhammad and the New Black Panther Party began organizing future events with some local community members.

“We definitely need justice, swift justice. No long, drawn out, so called investigation,” she said.