Floyd Sawyer surveyed the block near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland and seemed satisfied that he’d seen enough to come to his own conclusions about the protests that have been making national headlines.

“This is a peaceful protest as far as I’m concerned,” said Sawyer, a farmer who drove for several hours from Shelton, Washington.

“Right now it is,” said Paul Bruns, a counter-protester carrying a pole with a large American flag, who was also at the protest for the first time Wednesday.

As Portland and the nation await a decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on whether President Donald Trump may send troops to Portland, the different sides in the ongoing drama outside the ICE facility have settled into their respective roles.

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