The weather forecast for the “No Kings” protests around Maine on Saturday, June 14, was bleak — rain in the morning followed by some clearing in the afternoon.

Forecasts notwithstanding, we decided to attend the early protest in Freeport (8-11 a.m.) because we had a commitment in the middle of the day. We got to Freeport shortly after 8 a.m., and both sides of Main Street were already filling up with sign-carrying protestors. Perhaps “revelers” is a better word, because the atmosphere was spirited and upbeat, not sullen and unruly.

It was gratifying to be surrounded by so many people who share our belief that the “policies” of Donald Trump and his lockstep administration have been so devastating for the United States and our stature around the world.

A few of the signs were coarse and not worthy of repeating. That said, you can’t fault the creativity of those that included the phrase “faux king.” But the vast majority of them conveyed real concern about various issues, especially Trump’s dictatorial style, which mirrors that of a king, not an American president.

Here are some of my favorite signs. “It’s not about being illegal. It’s about not being white.” Trump confirmed yet again his racist ways when he paid for many white South Africans to come to the U.S., even after ranting about all the crimes committed by “illegals.” Never mind that studies show that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at a much smaller rate than everyday Americans. The Trump administration didn’t like that research finding, so it has been deleted from federal websites.

Incidentally, our commitment later that day involved having lunch with three Bowdoin College sophomores who hail from Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia, the kinds of countries that Trump has mockingly termed “s—hole countries.”

Imagine being afraid of diversity but not dictatorship. The Trump administration has been busily trashing diversity programs and eliminating any hint of “wokeness” in all federal websites. It’s also trying to scrap any suggestion that America has caused harm to minority populations over our long history.

Apparently, it was fine for Jan. 6 insurrectionists to carry Confederate flags into the Capitol and bash police with American flags, but it is heresy for Mexican-Americans to fly Mexicans flags. Moreover, in Trump world today, it was considered just peachy to pardon all the insurrectionists, but citizens protesting current immigration policies deserve condemnation and should be labeled “unpatriotic.” In fairness, according to Trump, anyone who doesn’t kowtow to him is “scum,” the word he bandied about in his Memorial Day “message” to America.

“My dad fought Nazis for this?” Consider the hypocrisy of Trump and his allies whining about “waste, fraud and abuse” while being happy to spend over $40 million of taxpayer money to have a big parade in Washington, D.C., so that he could have a nice birthday party and appear tough like dictators in China and North Korea and Russia. Have Trump fans forgotten that Trump dodged the draft and once referred to people in the military as “suckers and losers.” Details, details.

“They’re eating the constitutional checks and balances. Keep on yelling.” Trump violates constitutional norms and the law on a daily basis. Ever loyal to their guy, Trump supporters wave their flags (and their Bibles) and refuse to see the truth of what’s happening. Two friends recently chided me for writing so many anti-Trump columns. I told them I was going to call out Trump until he has disappeared from the American scene.

As one sign noted, “Our country, our voices, our future.” And another, “I hate Trump for free.” Some Trump apologists like to claim that anti-Trump protestors are paid to attend rallies. Dream on. In the Portland Press Herald the day after the parade, one local Republican operative dismissed the protests as “performance art.” That’s rich, coming from a man who supports a president for whom appearance is everything and character matters not one whit.

The Freeport protestors loved it when motorists passing through would honk their horns or flash thumbs up signs. I only heard about one driver holding an “I love Trump!” sign, but a few drivers did stare straight ahead, looking glum. To those who still cling to Trump as their savior, I would cite one of the signs: “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.”

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns at dtreadw575@aol.com.