Police in the Grays Harbor city of Aberdeen are bracing for the worst this weekend. A ship is expected to load material bound for Iraq.

Prior shipments from Tacoma and Olympia have been met by boisterous protests.

This shipment is the first from the Port of Grays Harbor.

On Friday, it was all lined up down on a pier. There are personnel carriers, cranes, jeeps, stryker vehicles, boxes all headed for Iraq.

There are also 24 helicopters. They flew in earlier this week.

"About 15 of them flew right over the house," said Andrew Smith. "They were at tress level, it was pretty sweet. I liked it. I'm going to be in the Marines."

Everyone who enjoyed the sights like Andrew Smith said they'd be no problem.

But in Tacoma, a protest turned in chaos.

Aberdeen worries that could happen there.

"We don't know whether to expect a few people or a few hundred people," said Police Captain Dave Johnson said. "So we are planning for the absolute worst and hoping for the best."

Aberdeen is preparing for the worst by blocking off residential and business streets within a mile of the dock. Signs on the cones read "no parking except by permit."

To make sure people don't park on the streets, there is an armada of cop cars from Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Elma and Montesano.

And if any protestor should try to go in by water, there's the Coast Guard at the ready.

And the road to the port is sealed off by Homeland security and police.

The vanguard of the protestors showed up Friday.

The two dozens protestors were outnumbered by police cars. But they were geared with mega phones and anger. Mary Kaye Riley says she is really angry with the Port:

"This isn't a private port. We own this port," she said. "They (the military) have facilities to ship this stuff. I don't want to be part of this war effort."

The protestors say their big demonstration will be Sunday when the loading of the military material begins. There are only 36 commissioned law enforcement officers in Aberdeen and 102 in the county. Captain Johnson says police agencies from as far away as King County are on standby to help, if necessary.