By all accounts — police, organizers, participants and onlookers – the Nov. 19 march that organizers defined as a walk of “solidarity for all the groups of people that President-Elect Donald Trump threatened during his campaign” was a peaceful and orderly expression of the First Amendment as the march wound down from a Knowlton Street parking lot to a stretch of grass in Harbor Park.

Participants gathered from towns throughout the Midcoast, from Waldoboro and Nobleboro to Belfast, with the majority being citizens of Camden, Hope, Lincolnville and Rockport.

They were young, some babies in slings on their mother’s backs, to the elderly, walking with canes. 

Many walked with homemade signs denouncing hate and bigotry, others raised placards supporting their political positions — climate change, discrimination and feminism. Some chanted and sang, but mostly they walked quietly under a warm November sun that filled downtown Camden on a calm Saturday morning.

Shopkeepers opened their doors, some offering words of encouragement. A handful of onlookers watched from their regular weekend routines, and there was no confrontation, as had been suggested might happen.

“The town was extremely helpful and supportive,” said organizer Hannah Holte. “Police Chief Randy Gagne said he would have a few more officers on duty.”

Holte and Yanmei McElhaney, both young women in their late teens and early 20s were the march organizers, and had promoted the event via a Facebook page.

Holte said she had no idea how many people would ultimately show up, but said approximately 200 had committed to the march on Facebook.

In the end, police estimated approximately 300 marchers participated in the walk that was routed down Mechanic Street to Main Street (Route 1) and then up to the library and park.

Holte said she had been threatened by one person who told her he had studied her Facebook profile and would “come and hurt her today, and drown us out with motorcycles,” she said. Another person told her she was violating town ordinance if she did not acquire a permit.

In the end, there were a few who raised signs in support of Trump and in opposition of the march, but there were no harsh words among anyone.

“It went very, very well,” said Gagne, who was on scene for the entire event. “The group that put this together told us that it would be orderly and that is what it was. It was billed as a peaceful protest, and it was. We thank them for that.”

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657