ROSEBURG, Ore. — Gun-rights activists and others gave voice to strong emotions when President Barack Obama came to meet privately with grieving families whose loved ones were killed on a college campus in Roseburg, Ore.

During Obama’s brief visit on Friday, many residents showed anger over the call he made soon after last week’s shootings for more gun restrictions.

However, there were also Obama supporters among the people waiting behind a security fence near the airport to catch a glimpse of the president.

They included two men on bicycles — Phil Benedetti and John Poole.

“I want to support our president,” said Benedetti, a Roseburg physician. “This isn’t about gun control, it’s about caring about the welfare of the small town and every small town when tragedy happens.”

He said he owns several guns for hunting and chasing deer from his garden, but he believes assault weapons shouldn’t be available to the general public.

More than 200 gun-rights activists also gathered outside Roseburg airport — some carrying holstered handguns.

“I’m here to tell Obama he is not welcome in our county. He is exploiting the local tragedy with his gun control agenda,” said Bruce Rester, a retired truck driver who was wearing a handgun in a holster over his chest. “Everybody should carry a gun. An armed society is a polite society.”

As Roseburg buries its dead, it’s also trying to heal. The complexities of residents’ emotions were reflected in the signs that are everywhere around the community — at fast-food places, cafes and churches.

Some have messages like “Pray for UCC” and “UCC Strong.” The signs refer to Umpqua Community College, where Christopher Harper-Mercer killed eight students and a teacher before turning the gun on himself after a shootout with police.

Billie McMillian, a business owner from Eagle Point who attended the protest with her husband, said they came to support the families of the victims and because they didn’t agree with the president.

“We support the Second Amendment. It’s our God-given right to protect ourselves,” she said.

Funerals have been held throughout the week, and more are scheduled.