ENTERPRISE — Neither rain nor hail nor lightning bolts nor thunder claps deterred around 200 people of all ages from joining in the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests Friday evening at the Wallowa County Courthouse grounds.

The peaceful protest began at 6 p.m. Protesters were undeterred when, at 7 p.m., threatening black clouds pelted the protesters with half-inch hail followed by a hard rain. Many of the demonstrators remained until after 8 p.m.

“About 98% of the people were from Wallowa County,” said protest organizer Gianna Espinoza, who lives in Enterprise. “There were a couple of tourists who stopped by and joined us, plus two people from La Grande and probably some summer residents, but it was pretty much all locals.”

Along with Espinoza, county residents Paige Hunting, Kerry Weaver and Hunter Weaver helped organize the gathering. There was no sponsoring organization.

“I posted the idea of a gathering on my Facebook page on Tuesday,” Espinoza said. “I expected about 50 people to come.”

During the protest, a relatively small group of about 30 residents who were concerned about looting and violence gathered on the north side of Main Street diagonal from the large and often vocal crowd of protesters. About six came armed with assault rifles and sidearms.

“We’re just here to have the backs of our police,” said one who carried an all blue version of the stars and stripes that symbolizes support for the police. “We don’t want violence. But we don’t want our stores broken into. We don’t want our town destroyed.”

Those concerns were a response to numerous Facebook and other online postings that implied several busloads of Portland Antifa were on their way, and somewhere in the town of Wallowa a stash of bricks was awaiting to be hurled through store and other windows as part of the protest, according to Sheriff Steve Rogers.

“There are officers posted in Wallowa and Lostine and Enterprise and Joseph watching,” said Enterprise Police Chief Joel Fish. “So far, we haven’t heard a thing.”

The social media predictions of mayhem never materialized.

“We’re just as upset as they are about that young man who was killed by a police officer,” said one man at the armed gathering. “It’s not right. It’s time for this crap to stop.”

“Our government is behind this division,” said another. “They don’t want them and us being friends because it doesn’t comply with their agenda.”

Three speakers briefly addressed the Black Lives Matter protesters about a half-hour into the protest. Joe Whittle, a Wallowa County native who is an enrolled member of an Indian tribe in Oklahoma, presented an acknowledgement for use of Indian lands. Espinoza provided a short introduction to the BLM movement, and Hunter Weaver spoke about ways to support people of color in Wallowa County, especially through the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center in Joseph, which is the only black nonprofit organization in the county.

It was one of the largest protest gatherings in recent memory in Wallowa County, Espinoza said. More than a dozen law enforcement officers, including four from the La Grande Police and four additional Oregon State Police troopers from La Grande took positions around the courthouse and adjacent intersections.

The protesters were buoyed by passing cars that honked support, as well as beset by occasional opposition from passing motorists. One diesel pickup accelerated past the gathering, leaving a plume of black exhaust, and was immediately pursued by sheriff and state police vehicles.

“This is America,” Espinoza said, “and we need to remember that we are all in this together.”