As Baton Rouge awaits a U.S. Justice Department decision on Alton Sterling’s death, a state legislator, prominent ministers, a Sterling family member and community activists gathered Saturday to call for peaceful protests, more organizing and to not allow “outside agitators” to cause chaos.

The group stood behind one another in support as a mural of Sterling seemed to gaze over their shoulders from the wall of the Triple S Food Mart, where he was fatally shot by a Baton Rouge police officer last July.

Several Baton Rouge elected officials have talked about rumblings that a decision is imminent from the Justice Department on whether two Baton Rouge police officers on leave committed federal civil rights violations in Sterling’s death.

About 50 community residents gathered at Triple S. Food Mart Saturday to hear from state Rep. C. Denise Marcelle and others preparing for whatever decision the Justice Department announces.

“When a decision comes down we want peaceful protests, but just know that even after they come with their decision, we’re still fighting,” said Sandra Sterling, Alton Sterling’s aunt, who was wearing a t-shirt with her nephew's photo and the words 'when will it end' on it.

“We haven't stopped fighting. It’s going to be a process after (the decision),” she said.

Sandra Sterling, aunt of #AltonSterling, spoke at the community meeting today, encouraging people to fight beyond initial protests. pic.twitter.com/GkdsbTYLcu — Emma Discher (@EmmaDischer) April 30, 2017//

Sandra Sterling said she does not know when the decision will come, but she was told through her attorney that the Justice Department will give the family six hour advance notice that the decision is coming.

Speakers stressed the importance of peaceful protests.

Marcelle said that government leaders should be held accountable, but asked protesters to be respectful to law enforcement officers and to pray for them and all of Baton Rouge. Anger over Sterling’s shooting spilled over into several days of street protests in Baton Rouge, with some pouring in from out of state. One of the outsiders drawn to the city in the wake of Sterling’s killing, Gavin Long, 29, killed three law enforcement officers and injured three others on July 17 before he was shot and killed himself.

“It is no time for us to point fingers at one another,” Marcelle said. “It is a time for us to unify and get justice. We need justice. We don’t need chaos. … Protests are fine if they are organized, but when they are unorganized it’s called chaos. We want unification and we want non-violence. I don’t want to see any more bloodshed.”

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Marcelle advised community members to leave children at home during protests as she wrapped her arm around her young granddaughter’s shoulder, remembering how seeing young kids in the streets close to moving vehicles last summer grieved her.

Community activist Keon Preston and Father Richard Andrus of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church separately addressed reports of outsiders coming into Baton Rouge in response to the decision. Both said locals should carry on peacefully, despite the outside agitators.

“Think we have a moment right now where we can set an example for the rest of the nation,” Andrus said. “We know who we are and we know what we’re about and we’re not going to let somebody else distract us. We’re not going to let them bring their stuff in and put it on our plate and let their mess become ours.”

Beyond peaceful protests, members of the Nation of Islam started a boycott of the Mall of Louisiana today as part of a “black unity economic boycott campaign,” according to Rashad Ali Muhammad, a youth representative for the Nation of Islam.

Local pastor Reginald Pitcher said he supports what he referred to as selective buying campaign in order to build unity.

“We wholeheartedly support the building of black businesses in this city, economic development,” Pitcher said. “We wholeheartedly support the unity and the strength that will bring to this community. So we’re saying to you, if we don’t get A we can certainly get B. We control that.”

Regardless of what the decision may be, activist A.V. Mitchell made it clear that he thinks there are a lot of decisions to be made that will shape the future.

“If this decision is not in our favor, do we protest, boycott or riot?” Mitchell said. “Do we empower, educate, think for ourselves, ignore social media mess makers and outside agitators? Seek justice and work on systematic change for our brothers? I don’t know the answer, but I know who holds the power. God holds the power and that power is in each one of us.”