ST. HELENS, Ore. — A peaceful throng marched in a “Procession for Respect and Dignity” Wednesday afternoon in St. Helens, drawing both Latinos and white supporters. It also drew a handful of from the opposition.

“I didn’t want this march to go unchallenged,” said Rick Deming of St. Helens, holding a sign that read “Which laws can actual Americans break?” “I’m not seeing a lot of local people. It’s the usual loud-and-proud rent-a-mob.”

The march, organized by a new group, Latinos Unidos para un Futuro Mejor (Latinos United for a Better Future), was to serve as a way to not only protest Columbia County’s controversial Measure 5-190, but also to show that Latinos are a viable part of the community.

“There is a lot of concern that this law is putting the Spanish community under scrutiny,” Martha Olmstead, vice president of Latinos Unidos, said before the march began. “They’re feeling that they’re not welcome here, they’re not part of the community, whether they’re legal or illegal. We have families who have lived in Columbia County for 22 years, 17 years, 12 years. We are Columbia County citizens.”

Measure 5-190, approved by 57 percent of Columbia County voters in November, calls for a $10,000 fine for contractors who knowingly hire illegal workers. Other businesses could lose licenses or other work-related permits. The law was to go into effect Feb. 2, but a Columbia County Circuit Court judge ruled for a temporary injunction last month to give him time to review the measure, which critics say is full of legal flaws and likely to spawn lawsuits.

“This particular law has certainly opened the door to more overt discrimination and suspicion. It’s a bad direction to go,” the Rev. Marilyn Allen said while waiting to line up for the march. “Anger in the community is due to loss of jobs, not due to illegal immigrants. But it does tap into that anger and fear of the future for people of all colors. My purpose is to make the statement that discrimination is not OK, and this law is not OK.”

The march started in a large grassy lot across the street from St. Frederic Catholic Church on South 13th. Originally, the march was to begin on church grounds, but the church received several harassing phone calls and bowed out, said Marcy Westerling of Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity. “We had some initial concerns for security owing to the amount of fear and harassment this last week. But people are showing up. Our whole goal was to present a pride in our community.”

Marchers were told to “refrain from responding to gestures or rudeness” before they headed out on the 14-block walk to the Columbia County Courthouse.

There were a few catcalls along the way including some from Dennis Gump of St. Helens. “I said ‘Illegals go home!’” he said while watching the concluding speeches at the courthouse from a distance. “I would like the INS (immigration service) to come in here and check them,” he said indicating the crowd. “I bet it’d be fast, easy picking.”

Gump, along with about six of his friends, said they saw few familiar faces in the march. “I did see a couple of business owners that I recognized,” Gump said. “I’m not going to support them anymore.”

Marchers included several social and justice advocacy groups carrying banners including CAUSA: Oregon’s Immigrants Rights Coalition, based in Salem.

“We wanted to make sure the Latino community has the support they need here, that the Latinos are not alone,” said Francisco Lopez, CAUSA director, who brought 35 supporters with him. “We wanted to make a precedent that discriminatory measures are wrong.”

Olmstead, the LUFN vice president, made her closing remarks recalling a conversation she had with her mother earlier in the day.

“My mother said, ‘Martha, when you meet your maker, is he going to ask you for your green card?’ “ Olmstead said. “No. He has created us equal. We are here. We are equal. We are legal. This is our community.”