Maine

We've had some open carry get togethers in the past - one in Augusta which a bunch of us attended and a good time had by all.

I'm not getting good vibes about this one though; Portland is a bastion of Marxist tyranny, and this sort of thing is a virtual throwing down of the gauntlet to it's ruling elite.

They are likely to hassle you any way they can, and will arrest at the drop of a hat, even if it's neither legitimate nor legal. It will cost you several thousand $$$ and days of lost work just to prove your innocence, and good luck EVER getting your piece back. Utter a word of protest or look at 'em the wrong way and you are likely to get tazed. They love them tazers and are not afraid to use them.

Chitwood used to brag about how he had confiscated guns (and he confiscated anything he could find possessed by anyone other than a Government lackey or "important" liberal I suspect, with complete disregard for the Federal or State Constitution) melted down to make manhole covers out of. I fully expect the same policy to be in effect to this day.

I was thinking about this this morning while I was still half asleep, and the odd thought hit me that some officious tyrant is likely to start checking participants for hunting licenses, since I think the possession of a firearm in a wooded area is "prima facie" evidence that you're hunting.
Is there a tree within a hundred yards? Chances are then you'll be deemed as "hunting".
Ain't got a license? Too bad then; you get busted for hunting without a license.
Got a license? Tough luck; you're "hunting" in a prohibited residential (probably) zone.
Busted.
Sure, it's a chickenspit bust, and given a good lawyer and several days getting the run around in court, and you can probably beat the rap. What does your Lawyer get per hour these days, anyway?
See what I mean?
Is it really worth it?

Pick your battles carefully; read Sun Tzu.

You would do well to have a Lawyer on retainer right AT the event, and roll plenty of discrete video so as to be able to disprove the police, counterprotestors and media lies which probably can be expected.

Just because WE don't call it a "protest" does not mean that the City Wonks of Portland won't either. They actually might like to see us try to prove that point in court, and they have very compelling ways of making us do that.

Usually, the Police are our friends; Some might be, but I wouldn't count on it in Portland or most of Southern Cumberland County for that matter though.

They are likely to see this as a direct provocation and I predict that they WILL mess with you somehow in retaliation. They are probably looking for someone to "make an example of", and woe to you if you get picked.

The dynamics are not giving me the warm fuzzies tonight, fellas.

Don't be surprised if they intentionally try to provoke someone into doing something stupid; that's all they need to "prove" their case that we're all a bunch of loonies and domestic terrorists like they've been claiming for over a year now.

The potential for a spontaneous and tragic escalation from words to a blood bath should not be discounted, and avoided at all costs.

"Progressives" are easily offended, addicted to power, obsessively controlling and very vindictive - I hope you don't have to learn that the hard way.

Good luck. My prayers will be with you.

I, for one however, will not be there.