All Quiet In Concord On The Statehouse Plaza Front: Watch

CONCORD, NH — As Joe Biden was inaugurated as the nation's 46th president, a few people gathered at the Statehouse in Concord to protest the festivities in Washington, D.C., while showing support for former President Donald Trump.

Despite the threats of violence issued by both federal and local law enforcement, and then, a backtrack of sorts at least in the Northeast, there were no issues in the capital city on Wednesday. A total of three demonstrators showed up, outnumbered by New Hampshire State Police troopers and photographers and journalists, by nearly a more than three-to-one margin, as Biden was sworn in and offering his inaugural address.

One protester, who did not want to be identified beyond being a father, taxpayer, and New Hampshire resident since the 1990s, held a Trump sign — with Pence's name marked over. Four state troopers stood behind him. He was at the Statehouse because he wanted Trump to know, "as a symbolic gesture," that there were still people who supported him and that many people knew the 2020 election was stolen from him.

"I don't believe it was stolen," he said. "I know it was stolen. The evidence is so ample I don't have to regurgitate it. But the bottom line is … the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania changed voting rules, which was against the constitution; the legislature changes the voting rules … Philadelphia violated a court order against a Trump official to monitor the process … it goes on and on. We wanted a legitimate review of our grievances and the concerns about the integrity of the election (and did not get it) and that's why we're upset. We don't know if our vote counts anymore."

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When asked about scratching out the name Pence on his sign, he said, like the U.S. Supreme Court, he punted, too. Pence was "a stain on the Republican Party," he said. The man said while he was a lifelong Republican, most were country club-types and not "America first," so he never voted for a GOP presidential candidate before Trump. Often, he would write-in Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny, as a protest vote.

"I'm not in that wing of the party," he said. "It's a sad day for someone like me that supports America first."

When asked to identify himself, he declined, due to the current political climate in the state and nation.

"It's sad," he said. "I fear recrimination with my employment … and I've never done that during interviews. I've always identified myself before. I love politics. But I feel awful. I've never felt so muzzled. It's like a communist police state. It's scary."

Later, Donna and Paul of Canterbury showed up to the front plaza along North Main Street, holding signs and a flag, and the man who showed up first joined them. They, too, supported Trump, and believe the election was stolen. They also fear for the future of the Republic, specifically, the loss of their personal freedoms and the bad changes they believe Biden and the Democrats will make. When asked what policies they were concerned about, Donna quipped, "pull up a chair."

After mentioning some of their concerns including open borders, abortion, and the inability to speak freely, Donna also mentioned Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, and their connections to communist China and Ukraine. That scandal, she said, should have disqualified the elder Biden from running.

"He should have never been allowed to be in the election," she said.

Brian Blackden of Concord also stopped by and planted an upside-down American flag in the ground in the front of the plaza — a protest symbol for distress.

A man in a pickup truck became upset by the gesture and pulled the flag out of the ground, Blackden said, so he got out a hammer from his SUV and banged a metal flag holder stake into the ground to keep it sturdy. The man in the pickup truck then went to state police to complain, Blackden said.

"They told him off (bleep) off," Blackden joked. "I told him that is what they would say but he didn't listen to me."

Later, the man called Concord police, and dispatch sent two officers to the plaza. After viewing the flag and speaking to Blackden, they cleared the area.

During the course of about 90 minutes, there were several vehicles that honked their horns while driving by in support of the demonstrators. There were also a handful of hecklers — with one telling the protesters to "go home" and another yelling, "separation of church and state," as she drove from North Main Street onto Park Street.

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• Demonstrators Protest NH Governor's Private Inauguration: Watch
• Healing The New Hampshire Divide After The 2020 Election: Watch
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