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Activists rally in Portland to 'Say No To Racism'

The rally comes after a banner reading "It's OK to be white" was displayed in Congress Square earlier this month.

PORTLAND, Maine — Mainers of all ages came out for a rally to "Say No To Racism" in Portland's Congress Square Park Friday evening.

They stood with signs in hand reading "Black Lives Matter" and "Hate Has No Home in Portland" among other phrases. 

"The idea was to do a demonstration that wasn’t an angry demonstration, but with a solid message to say no to racism," rally organizer Harlan Baker said. 

The rally follows the recent alleged harassment of Portland City Councilor Victoria Pelletier.

The threats stem from her statements against the banner reading "It's OK to be white" that was hung in Portland on the first day of Black History Month.

"I spent the entire weekend receiving an entire influx of violent threats towards my life," Pelletier said during a city council meeting Monday. "I shared the photo on my social media page and talked about how absolutely hurt, and disappointed, and harmed, and disgusted I was, and so many others were because of that banner."

During the rally, demonstrators expressed their support for Pelletier. 

"The threats against Councilmember Pelletier are disgusting and have no place here in Maine," Lizzie Pope told NEWS CENTER Maine. "[We're here] to show that the white community, and the black community, and the brown community, all our community in Portland, Maine, rejects this hateful rhetoric."

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