FREEPORT

So many people wanted to attend Tuesday’s public forum about the fliers touting Ku Klux Klan themes scattered in Freeport on Monday that the meeting was held twice.

A large meeting room at the Freeport Community Center filled to capacity ahead of the 7 p.m. start. People who couldn’t get in, stood outside in the cold and sang, waiting their turn to enter the building for the encore presentation.

The fliers were reported to police in Freeport, Topsham, Augusta and Gardiner since Monday.

“We come together to reject the idea of hate, we come together to reject the practice of discrimination,” said Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport. “It will not be tolerated.”

She wondered if her 13-year-old son had found a flier at the bus stop.

“It left a pit in my stomach and it made me feel real fear, and it left me angry,” Gideon said.

Although she questioned if the meeting called too much attention to the “message of hate,” she said that to be silent would be complicit.

LePage reacts

Gov. Paul LePage called the fliers found in n Augusta, Gardiner and Freeport “appalling” during an appearance on WVOM-FM on Tuesday, according to an Associated Press report. He also said he didn’t know if the fliers were legitimate or a prank, but either way they were “disgusting.”

Some of the fliers were left in Augusta’s Sand Hill neighborhood, the Kennebec Journal reported.

The Rev. Francis Morin, administrator of a parish that includes a church in the neighborhood, said the KKK does not speak for Christians. He also said he believes the fliers were left there because refugees live in the neighborhood, according to the AP.

Tuesday’s forum

In one day, Freeport resident Maddy Vertenten planned Tuesday’s program featuring a lineup of local and state speakers.

RSU 5 Superintendent Dr. Becky Foley moved to Maine in 1986 from Texas. She wanted her children to grow up in a different atmosphere.

“On a daily basis, I witnessed racist remarks and behavior. I wanted to find an environment that was more inclusive,” she said. “And in the light of the recent action, I think I made the right decision.”

Freeport High School sophomore Ben Morang described his family as inclusive; his three siblings are of different races. He is his parents’ only biological child.

“I stand for freedom and diversity, and I stand with my family,” Morang said.

After singing several verses of “America the Beautiful,” attendees streamed out of the room.

“It was very inspiring. It was good to see everyone come together this way,” said Morgan Harding, 21, of Freeport.

Her younger sister, 15- year-old Peyton, noted the number of people who came to the forum.

“I thought it was amazing to see the power of the community,” she said.

lconnell@timesrecord.com