With war against Iraq looming, hundreds of Mainers carried signs, beeped horns, stood silently or asked questions in a range of public events during the weekend.

About 400 people marched in Bangor, about 500 in Portland, and hundreds of others gathered on bridges in more than a dozen Maine communities.

The events were part of an international day of demonstrations called by local groups and the national organization United for Peace and Justice.

During the weekend:

. Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud told about 100 people at a forum Sunday at Bangor Theological Seminary that he has urged President Bush against a unilateral strike against Iraq.

. At the same forum, a spokeswoman for Republican U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe left the podium when some in the audience began making negative comments midway through her presentation, which included reading a statement by Snowe in support of President Bush’s course. Organizers persuaded the spokeswoman to continue, without further incident.

. Four buses from Maine traveled to Washington, D.C., carrying opponents of a war with Iraq to a large protest march Saturday in the nation’s capital.

. In Brunswick, organizers of a rally to show support for Bush and U.S. troops estimated that 50 to 100 people attended. “We support our troops, and we ought to be questioning what Saddam is doing, not what our government is doing,” said Carole Graves, an organizer in Brunswick. “We don’t want our troops demoralized by all the ‘anti’ rallies going on.”

. In Bradenton, Fla., authors Stephen and Tabitha King of Bangor joined demonstrators in marching across the Green Bridge over the Manatee River to protest a possible war.

. Candlelight vigils were planned for Sunday evening in Bangor and Orono, and several area churches offered special prayer services.

During Saturday’s protest in Bangor, Stephanie Strong of Old Town brought along her two children, Holden, 8, and Sadie, 6. Strong volunteers at their school and says she hears a lot of “good guy-bad guy” talk.

“I want them to understand that there’s often a blurred line between who’s good and who’s bad,” she said. “I tell them, ‘There are kids in Iraq just like you, with friends and moms and dads.’ War is bad for kids.”

Clyde MacDonald of Hampden, who served as an aide to the late Sen. Edmund Muskie and former Sen. George Mitchell, both Maine Democrats, said he believes Congress abdicated its responsibility last fall when it voted to give President Bush “a blank check” in deciding when to go to war.

Bush is gambling that this war will be over in days or weeks, and that by the next election people will have forgotten,” he said. “But when the next elections roll around, we will hold them accountable for what they’ve done.”

Many protesters at the Bangor rally carried banners and signs: “Silence is the Voice of Consent,” “Peace is Patriotic,” “No Blood for Oil” and “Support our Troops – Bring Them Home.” Coreysha Lothrop, 25, of Belfast said she has heard a lot of talk about the need to support U.S. troops preparing to wage war. “I think it’s important to support them in peace, too,” she said. “Let’s bring them home to be with their families.”

The protesters walked through downtown Bangor accompanied by booming drums and a police escort. Some observers expressed support with raised fists, whistles and honks, while others cat-called or shouted pro-military retorts. Most looked on in silence.

Outside the Internet Cafe on Main Street, Michael Hunt of Bangor said, “People want to fight; it’s just something they’re going to do.”

Stephen Snowman, also of Bangor, said the marchers were wasting their time. “Protests didn’t change anyone’s mind about the Vietnam War, not for years,” he said.

Only one direct confrontation was reported. One protester – who carried a U.S. flag with a peace symbol in place of the field of stars – was approached by a young man as the march proceeded down Main Street. The man said the marcher was “desecrating the flag,” then spit on her. He followed the march, but no other incidents occurred.

At the Bangor seminary, Michaud reiterated his reservations about the looming war.

Michaud said a unilateral strike against Iraq would worsen anti-American sentiment around the globe and trigger terrorism against U.S. interests. He said he supports allowing more time for weapons inspections to disarm Saddam Hussein’s regime and a military strike only with the support of the United Nations.

Michaud said he was dissatisfied with information being released by the Bush administration and that he has urged the president to be “more open and honest with the American people.”

Representatives from the offices of Snowe and Sen. Susan M. Collins were on hand for the seminary meeting and read prepared statements that showed support for the president’s course of action. Snowe spokeswoman Gail Kelly briefly refused to continue during the session and left the podium before agreeing to return.

The seminary forum was sponsored by the Maine Council of Churches.

Judy Robbins, 54, of Sedgwick was among the Mainers who took an 18-hour bus trip with her daughter, Zoe, a nurse, to participate in protests in Washington, D.C. “The alternative to being here,” she said, “is just to stay home and give up.”

NEWS reporter Tom Groening and The Associated Press contributed to this report.