PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday she will keep state troopers, sheriff’s deputies and police officers under a unified command for an additional 48 hours in Portland to handle protests amid uncertainty over the winner of the U.S. presidential election.

Brown extended her executive order establishing the unified command until 5 p.m. Friday. The order was to expire at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The Oregon National Guard is also still on standby.

Portland has been roiled by five months of near-nightly racial injustice protests since the police killing of George Floyd, and several hundred people marched in the city on Tuesday. Law enforcement made no arrests and the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office thanked demonstrators for remaining peaceful.

People were protesting again Wednesday in Portland as Trump pursued court challenges to stop the vote count in battleground states. Demonstrators held signs saying, “Count Every Vote,” and “Keeping Hope Alive."

Suzanne Thornton, 79, said she was motivated to attend a protest for the first time because of Trump’s court challenges.

“Our president seems to be making such a big deal about it and we need to clarify what the vote count is for. He doesn’t seem to get it,“ Thornton said. "I don’t have a lot of patience with him because he is such a baby and I don’t see how so many people in this country see him as a leader.“

Gerry Foote, a 69-year-old former high school teacher, turned out to protest waving a sign that read “Teacher against tyranny. No hate.” Foote, who protested against the Vietnam War as a college student, said it was critical to prevent Trump from stopping the vote count.

Brown's order places law enforcement from all three agencies under the joint command of the Oregon State Police and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department, which allows those agencies to use tear gas if necessary to quell unrest. Mayor Ted Wheeler, who is also police commissioner, banned the use of tear gas by Portland police earlier this fall after concerns about an overly aggressive response to the unrest.

The presidential race between former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump remains too close to call, with votes still being counted.

“It’s important to trust the process, and the system that has ensured free and fair elections in this country through the decades, even in times of great crisis," Brown said in a statement. “We are all in this together––so let’s work together to keep our fellow Oregonians safe.”

Richard March said Trump’s move to challenge vote counts motivated him to come to a Portland rally despite a heart condition that makes him vulnerable to COVID-19. “To cast doubt on this election has terrible consequences for our democracy,” he said. “I think we are a very polarized society now — and I’m worried about what’s going to come in the next days and weeks and months.”