BATH — Hundreds of protesters gathered near Bath Iron Works Monday afternoon to rally against the Trump administration ahead of a visit from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

What started as a few dozen attendees around noon quickly grew as more people flooded the busy intersection near the Bath post office and base of the Sagadahoc Bridge carrying signs that read, “Fire Hegseth” and “Maine doesn’t welcome war criminals.”

About a dozen supporters of the administration stood on the opposite side of the street, and both sides waved American flags.

Hegseth spoke to BIW employees and toured the U.S. Navy shipyard Monday afternoon as part of his “Arsenal of Freedom Tour.” His visit comes as the administration has said it plans to boost U.S. naval fleet, but also amid a broader backdrop of controversies and pushback toward President Donald Trump and his policies.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security last month carried out “Operation Catch of the Day” in Maine, targeting hundreds of people with ramped up immigration enforcement efforts — and those efforts were still on the minds of many people protesting Monday. They used Hegseth’s visit as an opportunity to speak out more generally against the administration.

“I feel it’s incredibly important for us to stand up for our rights and our democracy,” said Nancy Parsons-Kanter, of West Boothbay Harbor, who carried a sign that said, “ICE OUT.”

“Hegseth is certainly not upholding our rights and our democracy,” said Parsons-Kanter, 68. “He’s a warmonger, essentially. There are people who are not in accord with this administration, and we know our First Amendment rights. We’re not going to stop protesting.”

Monday’s protest was organized by various local chapters of the progressive group Indivisible, and other organizations, though those involved said many people also just showed up.

Christian Leger, a member of the steering committee for Indivisible Sagadahoc, said Trump’s promise to build a “Golden Fleet” of battleships that the Bath shipyard may help design and build seems like an attempt to distract people from other problems facing the country.

“To me, it’s a way of taking our attention off other things,” Leger said, noting that there are more pressing issues that have many Americans worried, particularly health care and the economy.

Protesters of the administration quickly outnumbered supporters as the afternoon wore on and Hegseth’s 2 p.m. visit approached. The gathering was noisy as protesters broadcast a series of chants, yelling, “Say it loud, say it clear, we don’t want no Hegseth here.”

Dave Pappalardo, 72, of Phippsburg, said he came to protest the visit because he “can’t stand Trump” and is generally opposed to the administration’s policies.

Pappalardo said those gathered to protest were not intending to protest BIW or its workers. “I just think they’re anti the policies that are happening,” he said.

Jed James, who moved to Bath from Minneapolis more than a year ago, said he is horrified by the Trump administration.

“I think we are seeing democracy under assault right now,” he said.

James also said he supports BIW as a major employer in the area and doesn’t like to see it used in such a political way. 

Rosaline Welsh, of Damariscotta, has been a regular protester during Trump’s time in office and was similarly critical of Hegseth’s visit.

“He is traveling around to promote Trump’s vessels that they are paying everyone to build and name after [him],” Welsh said, adding that she expects things “to get a lot worse before they get better.”

Trump supporters, meanwhile, said they gathered to show Hegseth support ahead of his visit. Nick Blanchard, a well known conservative activist, wore American flag pants, a red sweatshirt and a “USA” hat. He said protesters seemed intent on opposing any Trump administration actions, regardless of whether they could benefit Maine or not.

“I came out to show our secretary of war support,” Blanchard said. “He’s here showing support to Bath, and the men and women that build these ships.”

Robert Wessels, a Republican candidate for governor, stood with supporters waving an American flag while David Jones, another Republican candidate for governor, mingled with the crowd.

Jones said he found it concerning that people were so divided.

“(Hegseth) is the head of the Department of War and we build warships here,” he said. “It’s one of the largest employers in the state of Maine. … Why wouldn’t I support it? I think they should be honored that the secretary of war would come to our state.”

Bath Police Chief Andrew Booth estimated Monday’s crowd at 300-400 people. He said the protest was peaceful and there were no arrests.

“Everybody was well behaved and able to exercise their First Amendment rights,” Booth said.

Staff writer Paul Bagnall contributed to this story