"The police call them anarchists," Bemidji resident Audrey Thayer said of those arrested. "I call them human beings who have a right" to protest.
Thayer, who works for the American Civil Liberties Union, distributed small booklets to protesters involved in the permitted march advising them of their rights and what they should do if arrested.
Thayer brought her granddaughters, ages 9 and 11, to the protest. She said it is an educational experience for the girls.
"I want them to understand what this is about, that you have freedom of speech," Thayer said.
Scot Bol of Duluth said he disagrees with "a lot of the law-breaking because we have to show we can protest without breaking the law."
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Bol said the protest was important "to make them aware there is a whole lot of folks who say the last eight years aren't working."
It was the first big demonstration for Cathy Wright of Duluth.
"I definitely don't like that we're at war," she said. "I don't like the Republican agenda."
Wright said it was important for her to be among others who share her beliefs.
"That's going to help me to feel more hopeful," she said.
