Dozens of protests against the Trump administration were held Saturday in communities across Maine, part of a nationwide movement of “No Kings” demonstrations.

The “No Kings” rallies were timed to coincide with President Donald Trump’s expected attendance Saturday evening at a military parade in Washington, D.C., to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary, Flag Day and the president’s 79th birthday.

In Portland, a large crowd numbering several thousand rallied first in Monument Square, then in nearby Lincoln Park. After the peaceful demonstration wrapped up, a small group of about 50 protesters was involved in pushing and shoving with a dozen Portland police officers. Two protesters were arrested as officers attempted to move the crowd onto the sidewalk; a police commander said the first protester threw a water bottle at an officer, while the second used an air horn in an officer’s ear.

No arrests were reported in Auburn, where an organizer estimated crowd size at about 1,000, or near the Maine State House in Augusta, where roughly 3,000 protesters gathered before marching across the Memorial Bridge. Crowds nearing 1,000 also assembled in Freeport and Wells.  Some Trump supporters held small counterprotests in Augusta and in Freeport, where a nearby Republican Party event also happened to fall at the same time as the town’s “No Kings” protest.

Other gatherings were slated to be held in Bath, Belfast, Bridgton, Bucksport, Calais, Castine, Cherryfield, Ellsworth, Farmington, Houlton, Kennebunk, Lincoln, Lubec, Machias, North Haven, Norway, Ogunquit, Rangeley, Rockland, Saco, South Portland, Southwest Harbor, Waterville, Wayne, Wiscasset and York, according to Mobilize, a platform often used by the Democratic Party to recruit volunteers and organize protests.

Editor’s note: Our live coverage is winding down as protests come to an end Saturday afternoon. The live feed follows in its original state below.

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3:15 p.m.: Small group lingers near Portland City Hall

PORTLAND — A small group numbering around 20 continued to protest the Trump administration Saturday afternoon outside Portland City Hall in the wake of the earlier “No Kings” protest.

Earlier Saturday afternoon, thousands congregated peacefully on Monument Square and at nearby Lincoln Park for a few hours. After the Lincoln Park rally, a small group of protesters and about a dozen police officers were involved in some pushing and shoving; two protesters were arrested.

Outside City Hall, the handful of remaining protesters continued to chant slogans like “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “No KKK, no fascist USA, no ICE!” Those had also been common refrains earlier when protesters and officers faced off near the corner of Congress and Franklin streets.

— Sophie Burchell, Press Herald staff writer

3 p.m.: Auburn organizers estimate 1,000 attended protest

AUBURN — By 2:30 p.m., the Longley Bridge between Lewiston and Auburn was clear of “No Kings” protesters who had gathered a few hours earlier.

Organizer Pat Fogg said that at one point, someone had estimated that around 1,000 people were at the rally – which would mark a higher turnout than the April “Hands Off” protest. At some points during the two-hour rally, all that could be heard was cheering from protesters and continuous honking from passing cars.

“The greater the crowd, I think the more it excites the traffic going by, so they’re having this big celebration between them going by. … But they’re all encouraging each other,” Fogg said.

Fogg, a member of Resist Central Maine, thinks the event was successful in bringing people together who are unhappy about the federal government, she said. As time goes on, she thinks people have become more upset with President Donald Trump’s actions, particularly his deportation initiative.

“People were told that the government was going to pick up immigrants and criminals — they were going to be criminals, and they were going to deport criminals,” she said. “And so most of the people they have deported and have been deporting are just people who have been here for 10 years, 20 years sometimes, and the people around the country are really angry about that.”

Ted Stone, a first-time protester, also thought the rally went well. Though he has always held strong political opinions, Saturday was the first time he felt compelled enough to participate in a public protest.

“Things have gotten so much worse in the last few months,” Stone said. “I just felt I had to. Not a single good thing has come out of Washington since January — not a single good thing.”

— Kendra Caruso, Sun Journal staff writer

2:40 p.m.: Wells protest winding down

WELLS — Most protesters who rallied outside Wells police headquarters on Saturday afternoon began clearing the sidewalks around 2:30 p.m. as the protest came to an end.

Wells resident Patricia Ryan Branca came to the protest with a sign reading “No ICE in Wells” because she said she was upset that Wells police entered into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (That agreement was later put on hold.)

“I couldn’t believe in my town that we would be the only town in the state being trained by ICE,” she said. “I am appalled as a citizen with what is happening in our country.”

— Gregory Rec, Press Herald staff photographer

2:35 p.m.: Portland crowd disperses after 2 arrests

PORTLAND — After two people were detained by police officers, a lingering crowd along Congress Street dispersed just after 2:30 p.m. Some headed back toward Monument Square, where an earlier protest had led into the “No Kings” protest at Lincoln Park.

Portland police Lt. Bill Preis, the commanding officer at the scene, told a Press Herald reporter that the first protester who was arrested threw a water bottle at an officer and hit them in the chest. Another protester told a reporter that the water bottle was plastic and empty.

Preis said the second protester who was arrested used an air horn in an officer’s ear while the officer was detaining the first protester.

— Sophie Burchell, Press Herald staff writer, and Brianna Soukup, Press Herald staff photographer

2:30 p.m.: Multiple arrests, pushing and shoving in Portland

PORTLAND — About 50 protesters and a dozen Portland police officers faced off Saturday afternoon near the site of an earlier “No Kings” protest, with some pushing and shoving occurring.

At least two people were handcuffed and detained. It was not immediately clear what charges they might be facing.

At least one protester was pushed to the ground near Congress and Franklin streets. Another protester told a photographer that they were shoved over and injured their knee.

Protester Jamaica Ford, of Portland, told a Press Herald reporter that police threatened to take away the megaphone that she was using to lead a chant of “no KKK, no fascist USA, no ICE!”

“They said I couldn’t use it, that I’d get arrested if I talked with the megaphone,” Ford said.

One officer said the megaphone “hurts the officers’ ears” but later decided against taking the megaphone away. Tensions over the megaphone had led to some of the shoving that took place.

— Sophie Burchell, Press Herald staff writer, and Brianna Soukup, Press Herald staff photographer

2:15 p.m.: Wells protesters rally outside police station

WELLS — More than 800 protesters gathered Saturday afternoon near the Wells police station on U.S. Route 1. People stood along both sides of the highway for a quarter mile, chanting “Save our democracy,” as motorists passing through honked their horns.

Earlier this year, the Wells Police Department became the only agency in Maine to sign a formal agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to allow local officers to more easily assist ICE agents. That agreement was later put on hold amid backlash from some residents and a legislative debate about banning such agreements.

— Gregory Rec, Press Herald staff photographer

2:10 p.m.: A lot at stake for Auburn protesters

AUBURN — The crowd on the Longley Bridge in Auburn started to thin around 1:30 p.m., a half-hour before the “No Kings” rally was scheduled to end, though honks and cheers could still be heard loudly around the bridge.

Auburn resident Brietta Hopkins came out to stand with the LGBTQ and immigrant communities that are being particularly impacted by President Donald Trump’s actions. Hopkins also feels that tax cuts are being given to the wealthy but not much is being done to find housing for the homeless.

“I just think there are a lot of issues at stake right now,” Hopkins said. “I’m part of the LGBT community, proudly, and I want to stand here in solidarity. I also want to stand here in solidarity for the immigrant community — they make Lewiston-Auburn what it is.”

Kal Marciniak works with strong, resilient and incredible immigrants, he said. “They deserve to be here, they fought to be here and they deserve our respect and our gratitude and they’re what make us strong,” he said.

Meanwhile, Marciniak said he is deeply concerned about what he sees as lies, theft and stolen wealth in the federal government right now.

Justin Morin also came out with his partner, Ryan Berube, to show solidarity for the LGBTQ community amid concerns about their future, he said.

“We’re really just here for our future, you know,” he said. “We just want to make sure that whatever we get to have in the future is something that’s good.”

A photographer estimated that the crowd swelled to about 800 at its largest. Police officers were visible in large numbers but had no apparent interaction with the protesters.

— Kendra Caruso, Sun Journal staff writer, and Russ Dillingham, Sun Journal staff photographer

2 p.m.: Portland police push back protesters

PORTLAND — Portland police have begun to corral protesters who remain near Lincoln Park onto the sidewalk. One person was knocked over as police moved in near the intersection of Congress and Franklin streets.

Congress Street has reopened, but some protesters remained, chanting, “Whose streets? Our streets!”

Protest organizers appeared to be telling their fellow demonstrators that it’s time to go home.

A Press Herald photographer was shoved by an officer and told that she would be arrested if she stepped into the road again.

— Sophie Burchell, Press Herald staff writer, and Brianna Soukup, Press Herald staff photographer

1:45 p.m.: Augusta crowd begins to dwindle

AUGUSTA — About two hours after the “No Kings” protesters assembled outside the Maine State House, most of the crowd has cleared out. Many attendees participated in a march across the Memorial Bridge. Those who remained led a chant of “Love, not hate, makes America great.”

Meanwhile, a small group of 10 counterprotesters holding American flags and pro-Trump signs remained nearby.

One counterprotester, Dylan Bachelder, held a simple white poster with the word “Triad” crossed out on it, to promote the deportation of Chinese citizens in Maine illegally growing marijuana. Bachelder said he is concerned about human trafficking and believes the money from the operations is going back to the “Chinese mafia.” He said he wants someone — it doesn’t matter to him if it’s Maine Gov. Janet Mills or President Donald Trump — to deport those who are arrested on such charges.

Bachelder was joined by a friend and a few other counterprotesters, one of whom brought a box of bibles and another who chanted “Ice, ice baby” through a loudspeaker.

“This is the first time I’ve ever felt so moved to protest,” Bachelder said. “People start to think that because we support ICE, we are Nazis. A lot of people weren’t willing to come out today, but if they don’t, someone has to.”

— Emily Duggan, Central Maine staff writer

1:40 p.m.: Portland police tell protesters to move onto sidewalk

PORTLAND — Portland police told protesters near Lincoln Park that they are reopening the intersection of Congress and Franklin streets and told demonstrators to move onto the sidewalk.

— Brianna Soukup, Press Herald staff photographer

1:30 p.m.: Auburn protesters share personal impact of Trump policies

AUBURN — As the rain clouds cleared and the sun started shining, protesters gathered along Longley Bridge in Auburn sang protest songs, beat drums and cheered as passing cars seemingly continuously honked in support.

Azar Burhoe and Charity Bell, both of the Lewiston-Auburn area, attended the rally because their lives have been negatively impacted by President Donald Trump’s actions, they said.

Burhoe is gender nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, but since Trump retook office, they have had to revert back to using their birth name and assigned gender on job applications, and their job does not legally recognize their preferred pronouns and gender.

Burhoe and Bell also fear same-sex marriage could be at risk.

“When I was younger, I could come out easily. … There was nothing legal against me, but now they’re tying to take away gay marriage — that’ll directly affect me,” Burhoe said.

The two also feel that has become difficult to use their preferred pronouns in public also since the start of Trump’s second term. Bell says she has noticed an uptick in discrimination against LGBTQ people and thinks some people have become emboldened to act in a discriminatory way because the president does.

Bell also said that she was approved for a Section 8 housing voucher, but changes at the federal level took that away from her, she said. The 20-year-old, who was in and out of foster care as a child, has struggled to find housing on her own and is now staying with a family member.

“I was supposed to get my own place and have finally that stability that I always wanted, and his cuts directly affected me and took that away from me,” she said. “And a lot of people, especially the people who voted for him, don’t think that’s too big of a deal.”

Bell added that she feels that the America she grew up knowing is gone, and that the country now is not reflective of the democratic values she felt were in place as a child.

“Let’s be America. Let’s be the government I grew up with. Let’s go back to that,” she said.

— Kendra Caruso, Sun Journal staff writer

1:25 p.m.: Songs, speakers continue in Portland

PORTLAND — Streets near Lincoln Park remained closed as the “No Kings” gathering there continued Saturday afternoon.

Large crowds remained, listening to speakers and singing songs, though some attendees were starting to filter out.

— Brianna Soukup, Press Herald staff photographer

1:15 p.m.: Augusta protesters cross Memorial Bridge

AUGUSTA — A little over an hour into their demonstration near the Maine State House, marchers from the “No Kings” protest reached the Memorial Bridge and began to cross it.

Organizers had said they were instructing marchers to stay on the sidewalk, but a photographer on scene reported that vehicular traffic on the bridge has been closed and some people are walking down the middle of the bridge.

— Joe Phelan, Central Maine staff photographer

1 p.m.: Small counterdemonstration forms as Augusta protesters march

AUGUSTA — A small group of people carrying pro-Trump and American flags counterprotested against Saturday’s “No Kings” demonstration, gathering at the corner of Chamberlain and State streets near the Maine State House.

At the same time, the speakers at the “No Kings” event wrapped up, and attendees began a march. They moved down Capitol Street and onto State Street on their way to cross the Memorial Bridge. State Street is temporarily closed at Memorial Circle.

Molly White, an organizer for the Augusta “No Kings” protest, estimated that around 3,000 protesters assembled near the State House. She told a reporter earlier Saturday that she had expected about 2,000.

While protesters marched, they began a call-and-response chant: “Show me what democracy looks like!” “This is what democracy looks like!”

— Emily Duggan, Central Maine staff writer, and Joe Phelan, Central Maine staff photographer

12:50 p.m.: Rep. Chellie Pingree speaks in Portland

PORTLAND — “Holy (expletive), Portland, look at all these people!” Rep. Chellie Pingree exclaimed to a cheering crowd of thousands of protesters that spilled out of Lincoln Park on Saturday.

The congresswoman took the microphone at the rally Saturday and criticized President Donald Trump for using millions of taxpayer dollars for the military parade planned in Washington, D.C., for deploying the Marines to the protests in Los Angeles, and for separating families through deportation. She said everyone needs to stand against what she declared to be challenges to democracy.

“This is not easy, but this is about the very fundamentals of our of our democracy and our country, our United States Constitution,” Pingree said. “This is about how we take care of each other as citizens, how we protect each other’s rights.”

Pingree said elected representatives, the Democratic Party and everyday people alike must not rest in resisting the Trump administration.

“I’m worried what they’re going to do next and who they’ll come for next, because it’s going to be all of us if we don’t stand up, fight back and protest,” she said.

Pingree mentioned that she stopped at three smaller “No Kings” protests in Maine while on her way up to Portland from York.

After her remarks, she walked out of the crowd to the chant of “No kings! No kings!”

— Sophie Burchell, Press Herald staff writer

12:45 p.m.: Auburn attendees get creative with signs

AUBURN — By the time Saturday’s rally in Auburn had kicked off, hundreds of people had already gathered, crowding both sides of the bridge while toting an array of signs with clever slogans.

Some of the protesters carried signs reading things like “No kings,” “impeach the traitor” or simply “resist.” Others read “kings will never silence queens,” “no king cons” and “thanks Trump, you turned me into an activist.”

Combining his sense of dad humor and knack for puns, Jeff Rainville, of Auburn, carried a sign that read, “This is our parade on your reign.” The veteran said he feels that things in the Trump administration are out of control and rallying against the president is a good start to pushing back against him.

“We’re done, and we gotta do something, and this is the answer,” he said.

There were groups of teens and college-aged students at the rally Saturday, though the majority of those at the rally appeared to be middle-aged or older.

Zoe Yetter carried a painted sign stating, “know your parasites … deer tick, dog tick, luna-tick” — with a photo of Trump over the “luna-tick.”

Yetter recently moved to Maine from Florida and said she attended Saturday’s protest simply because she is not a Trump supporter.

— Kendra Caruso, Sun Journal staff writer

12:35 p.m.: ‘Pieces of one giant puzzle’

AUGUSTA — “We are all pieces of a puzzle,” protester Robin Miller said Saturday outside the Maine State House as she bore a sign that she made in favor of protecting public media.

Miller, of Gardiner, brought her daughter Corinna Miller and friend Elizabeth Hinds to the demonstration Saturday afternoon. Corinna had never attended a protest before, but her mother frequents them.

“It’s like we are all pieces of one giant puzzle, and the picture will be more clear when we all come together,” Robin Miller said. “When the picture becomes more clear, we get away from our own personal egos and recognize other people’s needs.”

— Emily Duggan, Central Maine staff writer

12:25 p.m.: Portland councilor speaks as crowd spills onto side streets

PORTLAND — Portland City Councilor Pious Ali spoke to the crowd of thousands in Lincoln Park on Saturday about using privilege as a tool for change in the face of frustration.

“They are tools that you can use, and we need you to use them and use them effectively — not not tomorrow, not when it is convenient, but right now,” Ali said. “Use your privilege to interrupt racism in your workplaces and at your family dinner table.”

“Let us remind ourselves that freedom is not a limited resource,” he continued. “When immigrants win, when queer people win, when Black folks win, we all win.”

The crowd in Portland has started to spill out of Lincoln Park and onto nearby streets. Federal and Pearl streets are closed near the park.

— Sophie Burchell, Press Herald staff writer, and Brianna Soukup, Press Herald staff photographer

12:20 p.m.: Maine GOP event near protest ends

FREEPORT — A Maine Republican Party event to celebrate Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s birthday — which happened to be held just down the street from Freeport’s “No Kings” protest — wrapped up without incident just after lunchtime Saturday.

Jason Savage, executive director of the Maine GOP, described the event as “very patriotic, with a lot of discussion of the history of the U.S. Army.” He said the protest outside did not disturb the GOP event, and that party chairman Jim Deyermond’s only reference to the demonstration was noting that attendees had the right to protest.

— Dana Richie, community reporter

12:15 p.m.: ‘People are angry and sad’

AUGUSTA — A bald eagle flew over the dome of the Maine State House in Augusta three times prior to the “No Kings” protest there, organizer Molly White said Saturday.

“She’s looking over us,” White said.

White said she expected around 2,000 attendees Saturday, which is less than April’s “Hands Off” march; she attributed that to the greater amount of protests happening in other towns across the state.

Protesters started to gather before noon, and around 1,000 had already gathered prior to the official start, according to a reporter’s count.

“We want to be here. In America, we have no kings and no parades for our president’s birthday,” White said. “That was the intent of the protest, but with what’s happening across the country, in Los Angeles, people are angry and sad.”

— Emily Duggan, Central Maine staff writer

Noon: Protests in Auburn, Augusta and Portland officially begin

AUBURN — Several hundred people gathered on Longley Bridge to kick off Auburn’s “No Kings” rally at noon. At the same time, Augusta and Portland’s “No Kings” protests officially began, with thousands of protesters gathered near the Maine State House and in Lincoln Park, respectively.

In Auburn, some attendees carried American flags, while others held signs protesting President Donald Trump and his initiatives. A Sun Journal photographer at the scene estimated that the crowd numbered around 700.

Even before the official start of the event, people started lining the streets, and cheers and honks could be heard. Protesters started chanting “no kings” to a heavy drum beat that reverberated down the Androscoggin River corridor.

Residents from around the area came out to join, filtering in from both the Lewiston and Auburn ends of the bridge.

Married couple Rick and Flo Henley, of Buckfield, said they decided “enough is enough” on behalf of their 12 grandchildren. They donned signs with red, white and blue letters and said they feel that everyone needs to stand up for democracy.

Rick Henley doesn’t agree with Trump sending the military into Los Angeles and the way that he uses government funds.

“He’s just knocking down every legal barrier there is, and I don’t want a dictatorship in this country — I want democracy,” he said.

Alyssa Greeley, who grew up in Lewiston but lives in Auburn, came to the event as a representative of Generation Z. She thinks it important for people in her generation to start getting involved in the protests, she said, because when more people gather, it’s more impactful.

“It is our future, and we deserve to have our input and our opinion shown through free speech — and that is protesting,” she said.

Greeley said Saturday that it already seemed like there were more honks in support of the protest compared to the one held in April. She suggested that’s because more people have become frustrated with Trump’s actions recently.

“A lot of people are now seeing how childish and irresponsible he is, and the things that he is doing as completely wrong,” she said. “More people are becoming aware of that, and I think that protests like these help that.”

— Kendra Caruso, Sun Journal staff writer

11:55 a.m.: Local veteran fears family deportation

PORTLAND — Protesters in Monument Square held large banners around the base of the Our Lady of Victories Monument, including an American flag and a red banner that read “Collins is Complicit” — a reference to Maine’s senior U.S. senator, Republican Susan Collins.

One protester held a sign that read, “I did not serve my country for my family to be deported!”

That protester, who asked not to be named because she now works with the federal government and is concerned for her family’s safety, said she served in the Marines for more than six years, including two deployments. But her 92-year-old grandfather is an undocumented immigrant, and now her whole family is afraid that he will be deported.

“I didn’t serve my country for the president to have a (expletive) birthday celebration with taxpayer money,” said the protester, who lives in Portland. “I risked my life for this country for my family not to be in jeopardy.”

Just before noon, the crowd of several hundred began walking toward Lincoln Park, where the “No Kings” rally was scheduled to begin.

— Sophie Burchell, Press Herald staff writer

11:40 a.m.: ‘Let them eat Tesla’

PORTLAND — By 11:40 a.m., the crowd assembling in Portland had nearly filled Monument Square, where protesters chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go.”

Rylee Knight, 18, attended the Monument Square gathering while wearing a hoop skirt and dressed as Marie Antoinette. With a faux cake atop her powdered wig, she held a sign that read, “Let them eat Tesla.”

“The saying of hers, ‘let them eat cake,’ was a sign of the disconnect between the upper and lower class,” said Knight, who lives in Portland and says she regularly makes elaborate costumes.

“It’s feeling true today,” she added.

— Sophie Burchell, Press Herald staff writer

11:30 a.m.: Crowd gets in tune before Augusta rally

AUGUSTA — Prior to the start of Augusta’s “No Kings” rally at noon, musicians began playing a medley of patriotic tunes, including “America the Beautiful,” around 11:30 a.m. in the plaza between the Maine State House and the Burton Cross Office Building.

— Joe Phelan, Central Maine staff photographer

11:20 a.m.: Protesters gather in Portland’s Monument Square

PORTLAND — A crowd of about 250 anti-Trump protesters gathered just after 11 a.m. in downtown Portland’s Monument Square, cheering for honking cars going down Congress Street. The smaller demonstration precedes Portland’s “No Kings” rally in nearby Lincoln Park, which starts at noon and is expected to be much larger.

Frank Freeman and Stefa Normantas came from Saco for the rallies in Portland. The husband and wife said they also attended two earlier anti-Trump rallies in Portland this spring.

“This really is the preservation of democracy,” Normantas said when asked why they felt the need to attend Saturday.

Freeman said he was a conservative until 2016, when he says Trump got “too crazy.”

“Now he’s just malignant and evil,” he said.

When asked why they decided to come to Portland for the 11 a.m rally instead of the one at noon, the couple gave a reason typical of many downtown Portland visitors: “Parking,” Freeman said.

— Sophie Burchell, Press Herald staff writer

11:15 a.m.: Freeport protest winds down

FREEPORT — About three hours after it began, the “No Kings” protest in Freeport had largely wound down by 11:15 a.m.

Organizer Sebastian Mead estimated that at one point, there were anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 people assembled — a stark increase from the 400 people who signed up on Mobilize.

As the protest came to an end, roughly 20 protesters continued waving signs and cheering as passing cars honked.

— Dana Richie, community reporter

11:05 a.m.: Freeport crowd shrinks but continues to protest

FREEPORT — Though the protest in Freeport was scheduled to end at 11 a.m., a crowd about 100 strong continued to line Main Street beyond that time.

Drivers continued to lay on their car horns as they drove past, with protesters continuing to cheer in response.

Rain that has fallen sporadically started to lighten up, and energy among the crowd remained high.

— Dana Richie, community reporter

11 a.m.: South Portland protest kicks off

SOUTH PORTLAND — David Middleton, of South Portland, held a “No Kings” sign Saturday morning as he walked up and down Broadway in South Portland as that city’s “No Kings” protest got underway.

Just before 11 a.m., a few hundred protesters were lining the street, with more arriving every minute.

Middleton, who does historical reenactments as a hobby, decided to dress in his Revolutionary War-era costume for the protest.

“I couldn’t think of a better time to wear it,” he said.

— Brianna Soukup, Press Herald staff photographer

10:30 a.m.: Sen. Angus King attends Freeport protest

FREEPORT — U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, made an appearance at the Freeport protest Saturday morning.

The senator found himself unable to make it down the sidewalk without being approached by constituents who wanted to speak or just shake hands.

“One of the bulwarks of democracy is the people, and this morning, the people showed up in Freeport,” King said.

King told a reporter that he decided to attend Saturday’s demonstration to show that there are elected officials who support the protest’s anti-Trump message.

And he said he was encouraged by the turnout: “It seems like half the town is here.”

— Dana Richie, community reporter

10:15 a.m.: Maine GOP hosts Flag Day event near protest

FREEPORT— Just down the road from the Freeport “No Kings” protest, Republican Mainers gathered in the Harraseeket Inn for a breakfast to celebrate Flag Day, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and President Donald Trump’s birthday.

The event was scheduled to feature a keynote address from retired Army Col. Ron Russell and expected to have about 100 attendees.

Jim Deyermond, the chairman of the Maine Republican Party, said he thinks of Saturday’s event as a kickoff for more patriotic celebrations as the 250th anniversary of the nation approaches. And he said it was a simple decision to celebrate Trump’s birthday.

“He’s the head of the Republican Party, and this is a Republican event,” he said. “Why wouldn’t we?”

When asked about the protesters nearby, Deyermond replied, “It’s America. People can protest.”

Brian Roy, of Bowdoin, drove past the crowds of protesters to get to the GOP event.

“I don’t take things personally,” he said. “People are entitled to feel what they want,” adding that he would love to have conversations with people who disagree politically.

Bill Morrison, the president of the Maine Republican Assembly, cast the protest as “theater — it’s performance art” as he entered the event Saturday.

Sebastian Meade, one of the four lead organizers of the protest, said the “No Kings” rally was planned before organizers knew about the GOP event.

“I hope some of them come and join us,” Meade said.

— Dana Richie, community reporter

10 a.m.: Officials across U.S. warn protesters to stay nonviolent

In the lead-up to Saturday’s demonstrations, governors and city officials across the country vowed to protect the right to protest — and to show no tolerance for violence.

The Republican governors of Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Virginia have mobilized National Guard troops to help law enforcement manage demonstrations.

There will be “zero tolerance” for violence, destruction or disrupting traffic, and “if you violate the law, you’re going to be arrested,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin told reporters Friday.

Protest organizers say one march will go to the gates of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis warned demonstrators that the “line is very clear” and not to cross it.

On social media, Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, called for peaceful protests to ensure Trump doesn’t send military to the state. “Donald Trump wants to be able to say that we cannot handle our own public safety in Washington state,” Ferguson said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said his administration and state police are working with police in Philadelphia ahead of what organizers estimate could be a crowd approaching 100,000 at the flagship “No Kings” march and rally.

— Associated Press

9:40 a.m.: Freeport crowd swells

FREEPORT — By just after 9 a.m., the crowd of protesters in Freeport had grown to several hundred. By a reporter’s count, about 600 demonstrators lined both sides of Main Street, stretching from Davis Avenue to Bow Street, in the heart of Freeport.

At one point, they started chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!”

— Dana Richie, community reporter

9:30 a.m.: Day of protests follows unrest in LA, prior anti-Trump rallies in Maine

Saturday’s “No Kings” protests arrived on the heels of large demonstrations that have sometimes turned violent in Los Angeles as the Trump administration ramps up immigration raids.

President Donald Trump has ordered National Guard troops and Marines to the city, where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire. Police have responded to unrest with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades.

A joint statement from Democratic governors, including Maine Gov. Janet Mills, last week called Trump’s Guard deployment “an alarming abuse of power” that “shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement.” A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Guard deployment was illegal and both violated the Tenth Amendment, which defines power between federal and state governments, and exceeded Trump’s statutory authority; that ruling was put on hold later Thursday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Organizers of the “No Kings” protests have emphasized that nonviolence is critical to their national movement, which they estimated will encompass millions of demonstrators in nearly 2,000 locations across all 50 U.S. states.

The group behind the protests, known as the 50501 Movement, says no weapons should be taken to the rallies and that all protesters should seek to deescalate any tense situations.

Prior rallies organized by the 50501 Movement included the “Hands Off” protests, which were also held across Maine and the rest of the country, in April. Large crowds numbering well into the thousands gathered in Portland and Augusta for those demonstrations, with other gatherings also taking place in Auburn, Freeport, South Paris and South Portland.

 — Staff and Associated Press reports

9:15 a.m.: Trump supporter holds one-man counterprotest

FREEPORT — One Freeport man was the only pro-Trump counterprotester at the town’s demonstration Saturday morning.

Terry Jewett held a sign that reads “I stand with Donald Trump” while wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat with an American flag brim.

Jewett said he comes out every week to counterprotest at the Tuesday demonstrations, to present the other side and support the president’s policies. Organizers have “accepted my presence,” he added.

“I believe in our government, and I’m backing our government,” he said. “I’m here so there are two sides.”

— Dana Richie, community reporter

9 a.m.: ‘Now is the time,’ first-time protester says

FREEPORT— Sebastian Meade, one of the four primary organizers with Visibility Freeport, said Saturday’s mobilization is an act of visibility, not a rally or march.

“The idea is we’re going to tell people how we feel” by waving signs and chanting, Meade said.

Saturday’s event builds upon regular weekly protests held on Main Street on Tuesday mornings. Those smaller gatherings usually have about 60 participants, including 30 core members, according to Meade.

Casey Ellis, of Freeport, said Saturday’s action was her first time at a protest.

“Now is the time to start participating,” she said. “So my daughter’s rights aren’t taken away in the future, so that my children live in a democracy.”

— Dana Richie, community reporter

8:30 a.m.: Small crowd gathers at day’s first protest

FREEPORT — Protesters began to gather around 8 a.m. in downtown Freeport for the first “No Kings” rally of the day.

About 200 protesters assembled on the four corners of the intersection of Main and School streets.

Donning rain coats and holding handmade signs, protesters cheered as passing cars honked.

Some protesters, like Janine Jackson, of Northampton, Massachusetts, were waving American flags.

“It’s Flag Day,” she said. “We want to take it back. It’s ours, too.”

— Dana Richie, community reporter