LEWISTON — After a neo-Nazi group appeared in downtown Lewiston earlier this month, city officials will vote on a resolution condemning white supremacy.

The City Council on Tuesday will consider a resolution brought forward by Mayor Carl Sheline, which states that “the city of Lewiston is proud of its diversity and will not tolerate people or groups who seek to threaten our diverse community.”

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 City Hall.

In a video widely circulated on social media, a bystander filmed the group as he questioned why they were hiding their faces behind black masks. Then the groups moves on.

The resolution comes after Lewiston’s superintendent of schools and the Lewiston Education Association also issued statements this week condemning the group’s demonstration.

The document states that Lewiston “is a city founded by immigrants who have defined the greatness of our city for over two hundred years,” and that the city’s immigrant population “continues to provide significant cultural and economic opportunities for our entire community.”

“The Mayor and Lewiston City Councilors reject white supremacy and condemn white supremacist and Neo-Nazi groups for spreading hatred, seeking to dehumanize our residents, and intimidating and threatening our community,” it states. “We will always stand in solidarity with anyone targeted by this group’s presence and reaffirm that our community is a place that welcomes all and is strengthened by diversity.”

Last week, Superintendent Jake Langlais said the appearance of the group left him “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,” he said.

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