ATLANTA — The daughter of the slain civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. exhorted the nation on King’s federal holiday to act out against injustice but to heed her father’s message of nonviolence.

The call Monday came amid a day of scattered protests over recent police deaths of unarmed black men that have shaken the U.S.

The Rev. Bernice King told those crowded into Ebenezer Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta, King’s spiritual home, much has been done to end injustice but much remains to fulfill her father’s dream.

“I challenge you to work with us as we help this nation choose nonviolence,” Bernice King told those gathered Monday at the main King tribute in Atlanta, where she urged a new generation to take up the courage and activism exhibited by those who struggled to oppose racial discrimination half a century ago.

This year’s annual holiday followed recent national protests and debate over the deaths of unarmed black men and youths at the hands of white police officers around the country.

Some new protests flared Monday such as one in which several dozen demonstrators blocked traffic on a march in Cleveland, Ohio. Dozens of other protesters were detained after blocking a bridge in San Mateo, Calif., authorities said. Protests also were reported in Missouri and Washington state.