AUGUSTA — When a black SUV pulled over on Capitol Street next to three protestors holding Black Lives Matter signs, it seemed like some words of dissent could have been coming.

But, when the passenger-side window rolled down, it revealed Gov. Janet Mills, who thanked the protestors for being there.

“That was awesome,” Beth Laber of Poland said after Mills’ vehicle drove away.

Laber, her husband, Jerry, and Chris Blake of Topsham were the only three people protesting against systemic racism Sunday near the State House.

The trio said they are trying to promote a new group, “Central Maine Against Systemic Racism,” which seeks to bridge the gap between protestors and government officials to find solutions to systemic racism in Maine. The group said that involves speaking with school boards and police officials across the state.

Jerry Laber said systemic racism was obvious in areas of Lewiston, where parts of the city with more Black citizens were over-patrolled.

When asked why the new group uses systemic racism in its title, rather than labeling itself as a Black Lives Matter group, Beth Laber said systemic racism is not limited to Black people. As a Native American and Hispanic, Laber said she has been subject to routine traffic stops where police officers have held their hand on their firearm.

“We’re sitting there going; ‘why?'” Laber said.

Jerry Laber, who also is Native American, said the group wanted “we the people” to encompass people of all races, “not just white land-owning men.”

The group started its Facebook page in the past week, according to Blake. By Saturday at 1 p.m., that page only had six “likes” and an event page for the rally had four respondents. When asked if the group was disappointed in the turnout, Laber said she wasn’t because it showed a high proportion of active members.

“You could have a group with 1,000 members and have 10 show up,” she said. “We want people in this group that are … actually going to these school boards and go to these sheriff’s department.”

Ahead of the protest, Blake said that the group is looking to educate younger kids about the issues of racial injustice in hopes that they bring it home to teach their parents.

“We can’t change the whole United States but we can make a difference in the state of Maine,” he said. “We shouldn’t be fighting the same racial war we’ve been fighting for 400 years.”

Jerry Laber said the groups have a common goal of fighting racial injustice, but Central Maine Against Systemic Racism does not agree with calls to defund the police. He said the group is also pushing to have the Maine Legislature reconvene to take on racial injustice-related issues, calling it the largest problem the state is facing.

The group protesting Saturday had some links to a group that protested last week at the Kennebec County Courthouse seeking the removal of a statue of Melville Fuller. The Augusta native was nominated by President Grover Cleveland in 1888 to serve as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1896, he voted with the 7-1 majority in Plessy v. Ferguson — a decision that upheld legal segregation.

Beth Laber lauded Kennebec County Sheriff Ken Mason’s efforts during last week’s courthouse protest for keeping the protestors safe and preventing a scene from breaking out when a counter-protestor arrived.

“We wanted to make the point that we are not anti-police; we are anti-police brutality, we are anti-injustice,” she said. “If an officer is going to come up and work with us and be polite with us and no hostility, we are more than willing to work with them.”