ASHLAND, Ky. — The steel mill here shut down recently, costing 600 jobs, as China dumps cheaper steel on the market. The coal mines have been slowing down production for years as renewable energy gains traction. And Democrats who used to win elections in this patch of Appalachia are losing to Republicans.

So when Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton arrived here Monday for an event at a local restaurant, she drew protesters.

“Coal and steel are the lifeblood here,” said Jose Gonzalez, one of a small group of protester to arrive. “It kills me that people from this area are like, ‘Yeah, Hillary.’”

The criticism grew more intense later in the day after Clinton crossed the West Virginia line to visit a medical facility treating coal miners suffering from black lung disease, part of what she calls her “Breaking Down Barriers” tour.

Clinton was greeted by a throng of angry protesters, standing in the pouring rain and booing as she arrived at the facility in Williamson.