PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO COMMENT IN-PERSON OR BY EMAIL. IN FREEPORT – LOCALS ARE STANDING UP AGAINST HATE SPEECH AFTER RACIST AND ANTI- SEMITIC GRAFFITI WAS FOUND IN THE TOWN. TODAY RESIDENTS GATHERED FOR A COMMUNITY RALLY IN HOPES OF SENDING A CLEAR MESSAGE. NORAH HOGAN HAS THAT STORY.
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Freeport residents hold anti-hate rally in response to racist graffiti
Locals have reported three incidents of racist and antisemitic graffiti around Freeport
Updated: 10:21 PM EDT Sep 22, 2023
In Freeport, locals took a stand against hate speech after racist and antisemitic graffiti was found on public sites in town. On Friday, residents gathered for a community rally in hopes of sending a clear message. “Hate against any race, religion, any type of people — that’s just not what we stand for in Freeport, is not what we stand for in Maine and it’s important to say that,” said Freeport town council chair Daniel Piltch. “It’s important to say this happened. It’s important to say that we won’t stand for it, to say that we’re going to do something about it.”Over the past few months, locals have found offensive graffiti on three occasions — first, a swastika and a slur in a public bathroom in April, then racial slurs in a parking lot in August, and this month, a swastika on a playground. “I don’t know if there’s necessarily a pattern, but there’s certainly increased frequency,” said Freeport town council vice chair John Egan. According to watchdog groups, extremism is on the rise nationally, and in Maine, neo-Nazis have held rallies in Portland and Augusta. Hate groups haven’t shown a presence in Freeport, but town leaders want to stay ahead of the issue. “What we’re trying to do is to show that we’re not going to give any room for any of those tiny seeds of whether it’s antisemitism, discrimination, or hate speech, to grow here,” Egan said.Not everyone agrees that the rally is the best course of action. One town councilor worries the gathering will give the perpetrators the attention they want, but people who gathered for the rally believe it’s important to send a clear message rather than let silence seem like a tacit endorsement. “If it goes no further, it’s already gone too far to have somebody be put in a position where they are forced to see this kind of thing and see it not confronted and not to hear a community stand up and say, no, this kind of behavior is not acceptable here,” Josh Jackson, who spoke at the rally. Town leaders say they’re considering additional action beyond the rally. One option under consideration is anti-bias training.
In Freeport, locals took a stand against hate speech after racist and antisemitic graffiti was found on public sites in town.
On Friday, residents gathered for a community rally in hopes of sending a clear message.
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“Hate against any race, religion, any type of people — that’s just not what we stand for in Freeport, is not what we stand for in Maine and it’s important to say that,” said Freeport town council chair Daniel Piltch. “It’s important to say this happened. It’s important to say that we won’t stand for it, to say that we’re going to do something about it.”
Over the past few months, locals have found offensive graffiti on three occasions — first, a swastika and a slur in a public bathroom in April, then racial slurs in a parking lot in August, and this month, a swastika on a playground.
“I don’t know if there’s necessarily a pattern, but there’s certainly increased frequency,” said Freeport town council vice chair John Egan.
According to watchdog groups, extremism is on the rise nationally, and in Maine, neo-Nazis have held rallies in Portland and Augusta. Hate groups haven’t shown a presence in Freeport, but town leaders want to stay ahead of the issue.
“What we’re trying to do is to show that we’re not going to give any room for any of those tiny seeds of whether it’s antisemitism, discrimination, or hate speech, to grow here,” Egan said.
Not everyone agrees that the rally is the best course of action. One town councilor worries the gathering will give the perpetrators the attention they want, but people who gathered for the rally believe it’s important to send a clear message rather than let silence seem like a tacit endorsement.
“If it goes no further, it’s already gone too far to have somebody be put in a position where they are forced to see this kind of thing and see it not confronted and not to hear a community stand up and say, no, this kind of behavior is not acceptable here,” Josh Jackson, who spoke at the rally.
Town leaders say they’re considering additional action beyond the rally. One option under consideration is anti-bias training.