LOUISVILLE — As Air Force One descended over the Kentucky Exposition Center Monday night, a growing crowd outside the gates had one message for their President:

“Go back home!”

It was a far cry from the welcome awaiting President Donald Trump inside Freedom Hall, where thousands of “Make America Great Again” supporters rallied. Louisville was one of a series of rally stops the President has made since taking office.

The dissenting voice was outnumbered on Monday, but it was loud, carrying from all the way across gates and parking lots.

The protesters chanted “We resist, we persist!” and familiar phrases like “No justice, no peace!” Lined up behind barricades, they waived their signs at passing cars. When someone honked in support, the crowd cheered back.

Behind the line, protesters sat on the grass and listened to a series of speakers from Louisville-based activist organizations. The future of health care, immigration policy and the protection of minority groups were common notes sang by several speakers. At times, the crowd literally sang, including a rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.”

Wearing a red “Bad Hombre” T-shirt, Dave Tynes drove from New Richmond, Ohio, with his wife to have his voice heard.

“Well I’m here because I am very, very disturbed about what’s happening in my country,” Tynes said. “I’m retired military. I spent over 20 years defending this country and where it’s going is disturbing me.”

Tynes said he’s concerned about accusations that Trump’s team colluded with Russia in an effort to win the election. He’s also still waiting to see if there are any conflicts in Trump’s tax returns.

“… we don’t know where all of his international business interests are or whether they will affect his decision making capacity as president,” he said.

Trump’s wish to boost the U.S. military budget by $54 billion doesn’t put Tynes at ease. He said the military could recalibrate to focus on modern day warfare — like cyber warfare — but that overall, it’s the best equipped, best trained military in the world.

Jan Martin of Louisville teaches high school students. On Monday, she found herself with friends, holding a sign that was waved at the Women’s March on D.C. in January.

The sign read, “We will not go back!” and depicted faces of women from different racial and religious backgrounds.

“I’m here because I am so upset with the things that Trump is trying to push through,” Martin said. “He seems to have no respect for anything other than the rich. He doesn’t seem to care for people who don’t have enough or people who are tying to live on a very strict budget.

“Or even heck, me, middle class.”

Martin said it’s hard to pick just one issues she’s most concerned about, but that health care and refugees top her list.

As the sun went down and Trump’s arrival drew closer, protesters began to disperse. Many headed to the parking lot, seemingly ready to leave after an evening of chants and cheers.

But by about 7:45 p.m., just 15 minutes after Trump was scheduled to speak, a crowd of protesters made their way to the entrance of Freedom Hall. And they stayed there, growing and chanting.

A line of Louisville Metro Police Department officers spread along the sidewalk, keeping protesters from blocking the venue entrance. Protesters complied with the human barrier, but they did not keep quiet.

As Trump supporters exited the venue, small groups stuck around to watch the protesters and chant back. “Get a job!” and “U.S.A.!” were common responses.

Tynes said he’s not sure if he can find common ground with the Republican party of today. It’s gone too far right, he said. But he’s still hoping to accomplish the same thing that drove him to enroll into law school years ago.

“I hope someday to live in the country I thought I was defending for over 20 years,” he said. “I still want to see this country be the kind of place it should be and can be. … I think that people can make that happen.”

Martin said she’s never considered herself a political activist. It wasn’t until Trump’s election that she started calling her representatives in Congress to voice her concerns.

“So maybe that’s one way that Trump is going to make America great again — make us more active in our political environment [and] not take it for granted anymore,” she said.