Lisa Ramey pointed to her granddaughter when asked why she was making a sign in support of Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

“For her, and the whole next generation of women,” she said.

By her side, 5-year old Nora Ramey who attends Peterborough Elementary School, was also creating a “Women for Kamala” sign to hold at Saturday’s march and rally in Peterborough, where both Rameys live. More than two dozen volunteers from around the region gathered on the ground floor of the Peterborough Town Library to design endorsements for Democratic presidential ticket. Organizers had begun meeting in the spring to strategize how to best support the campaign of President Joe Biden and Harris, but the president’s dropping out and Harris’ ascent to the top of the ticket changed things.

“Our group has an attitude,” said Christine Halvorson of Peterborough, one of the catalysts of “Monadnock Women for Harris,” which she describes as an ad hoc group. “We were having very different conversations once the ticket changed.”

Halvorson, with a background in social media, and Coni Porter of Rindge, a graphic designer who teaches the subject at Franklin Pierce, have brought their experience to drive the effort. Copy editor Barbara Jatkola of Jaffrey steered arrivals to tables, where they got to work with large poster boards and markers. 

Once signs with a variety of messages were complete, participants headed from the library to the amphitheater at Depot Square, but were directed to not display their work when exiting the library, as to not appear to affiliate the library with their effort. Swelling to over 30 at this location, the group was led in chants of “We will not go back!” and “Take back our rights!”

In spite of the organizers' name, a number of men were part of the rally. Nick Germana of the Keene Democratic Committee said he saw the event on social media and that the rain wouldn’t keep him away.

“As a veteran, I’m very concerned about the future of our country,” said  Dick Sanders, who was there with his wife Holly and created a “A Veteran for Harris” sign for the event.

Susan Garcia said that promoting democracy and women’s participation is a family tradition.

“My great-grandmother was a suffragette,” she said, adding that her grandmother promoted such issues on her radio program in New York during the 1950s. 

Just after 12:30 p.m., the group marched to the intersection of routes 101 and 202 and spread out on the four corners of the crossroads to hold their signs up to passing motorists, who responded with fairly consistent honking as a sign of support. Organizers had been advised by the Cheshire County Democratic Committee that a counter-demonstration from Keene in the form of a motorcade could possibly materialize.

At one point, a caravan of pickup trucks sporting American flags and signs supporting former President Donald Trump arrived from the west on Route 101 to promote their candidate. At a red light, individuals in several of the trucks began waving banners and signs. A raised fist and shout of “Trump!” from one vehicle was met with signs shaken in their direction and hand-waving on the corners, where co-organizer Sharon Smith estimated the MWH crowd to be at 90.

Erik Kokal of Peterborugh pulled his Trump-emblazoned truck to the side of the road past the Harris supporters and approached the crowd with a flag sporting the former president’s name and an eagle.

“This is what freedom is,” he said, before a Peterborough police officer directed him to move his vehicle.

Once through the intersection, the vehicles involved in the counter-demonstration turned around for a second pass, during which Deborah Claflin of Hancock reported being given an obscene gesture by one individual.

“I told him, ‘That’s mature,’” she said when asked how she responded. 

From her wheelchair, 96-year-old Dawn Randall held a sign saying that she recalled rallies for President Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940s at which organizers gave the children lollipops. Waving her sign on the corner nearest Dunkin’ Donuts, Marie Cassidy said, “This is the most important election of my lifetime.” 

Lisa Murray from Temple brought Bentley, a short-haired doodle mix, to the rally, calling him a “Dog for Harris.” Jen Johansson of Rindge said, “The camaraderie and fellowship of such a group and event is very uplifting.”