LEWISTON — In a letter to the community, Superintendent Jake Langlais denounced a demonstration by a neo-Nazi group in downtown Lewiston earlier this month.

According to several reports, a group of about two dozen people from the Nationalist Social Club-131 assembled in Kennedy Park and walked through nearby neighborhoods on Oct. 2. An image on the group’s page on the social networking service Gab shows members holding a sign stating “End Somali Violence” in front of Lewiston City Hall.

“It is appalling,” Langlais wrote. “I reject their words, their approach, their signage about members of our community, and all that they represent. It is hurtful.”

“We do have our challenges,” Langlais continued. “We are making efforts to get better. But the demonstration last weekend leaves me almost at a loss for words. It was disgusting. To all my neighbors of all cultures, race, creed, religious beliefs, and all other uniqueness – Let this be a blip on our radar that motivates us to continue to grow stronger together.”

Langlais wrote that he would “love” to have a chance to start a discussion with members of the group to “share the very core and fiber of my lived experience that are 100% tied to the diversity and love in our city.”

He encouraged community members to seek out opportunities to get to know other Lewiston residents, find common ground in values and imagine the challenges some residents must overcome due to cultural differences.

“In Lewiston each day, you can have the lived experiences of culture, events, appreciation, and celebration of life that enriches your world,” he wrote. “The value added to our community by other cultures is beautiful.”

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