MOUNT VERNON — By late Monday, the mayor was still silent about whether Glenn Beck was coming to town. But protesters who lined up outside City Hall didn’t wait for an official announcement.

Carrying signs and chanting slogans, about 35 people met on First Avenue on Monday to wave at passing cars and criticize Mayor Bud Norris’ decision to invite the controversial talk-show host to town. Details of the proposed event hadn’t been released, but Norris said two weeks ago that he would like to give Beck, a Mount Vernon native, a key to the city.

Beck is an outspoken critic of President Barack Obama and his policies. Some further to the left on the political spectrum, and some of the advertisers on Beck’s Fox News show “The Glenn Beck Program,” believe Beck crossed a line in July when he called Obama a racist.

Those at the protest, organized by the Young Democrats of Skagit County, said they wanted the mayor to know his decision didn’t sit well with at least some of his constituents.

“It’s not the whole city that’s behind this,” Mount Vernon resident and protestor Ian Taylormixon said. “The mayor doesn’t speak for all of us.”

“We feel it’s really undemocratic, the fact that Bud Norris is unilaterally giving the key to the city to someone who is really incendiary,” protest organizer Marc Oommen said.

The mayor’s administrative assistant, Kerri Grechischkin, refuted a concern of some of the protesters by saying that city funds would not be spent on Beck’s visit. She also said shortly before 5 p.m. that she didn’t believe Beck’s appearance had been confirmed.