Participants at the Love is Louder gathering in Augusta outside the Blaine House on Saturday. Almost 90 people were in attendance. Contributed photo by Sara Wing
Dozens of people gathered near the Blaine House in Augusta on Saturday to send a message of inclusion and love in response to a neo-Nazi rally held at the same location last week.
The “Love is Louder” rally drew almost 90 people.
“We are really happy with how it went. It was a really successful 90 minutes of love and the power of our Maine communities,” said Sara Wing, the event’s organizer. “We had 86 people who all stood together, safe in solidarity the whole time.”
The rally was one of two anti-hate demonstrations planned for the day in Maine.
The other event, which was set for Portland, was called off because of safety concerns, according to an Instagram post by organizers.
In an emailed statement, the aid group Project Relief declined to say what the safety concerns were, but said it would organize another community event in the future.
Organizers of the Augusta rally chose not to publicize the event on social media, possibly to avoid counter-protesters, said State Rep. Raegan LaRochelle, D-Augusta.
“It really gave me chills to be involved,” LaRochelle said in an interview Sunday. “Our community was disturbed by last week’s demonstration. People were eager to share the other side of the story. We are glad the organizers put this together. Great quick response to something so scary.”
“The response was amazing,” LaRochelle said. “You have to guess who is going to beep or wave and it was all types of people, old and young. It was constant the whole time we were there.”
Wing echoed LaRochelle about the warm response. “It was very heartening. Especially knowing this was organized in just four days with zero social media,” she said. “It was really affirming to see the power of our connections with each other. ”
A recent investigation by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram showed that white nationalist groups are increasing their presence in Maine, a trend underscored by the scene at the state’s capital. Experts said ignoring this growth would be a mistake.
Participants at the Love is Louder gathering in Augusta outside the Blaine House on Saturday. Almost 90 people were in attendance. Contributed photo by Sara Wing
Lawmakers from both parties denounced the latest neo-Nazi demonstration and called for legislation to make it harder for them to intimidate communities.
Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Bangor, said the neo-Nazi protest in Augusta should serve as a call to action.
“I think we need to look at updating some of the laws we have to meet the challenges of today,” Baldacci said in a recent interview.
Rep. Amy Arata, R-New Gloucester, agreed that lawmakers should consider legislation that “threads the needle” between deterring hateful public gatherings and infringing on anyone’s First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.
Wing also believes these hate groups are not welcome in Maine.
“Love is truly louder in Maine. People are angry at the displays of hate but remain determined,” she said. “They have a lot of love to give. It was a good day to be a Mainer. It is important to gather together with our families and friends to stand up in the face of hate. We know hate is easy to give into but love is contagious. We are stronger together.”
Staff writer Eric Russell contributed to this report.
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