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Portland Students Rally in Solidarity With Victims of Alleged Hate Crime

Caroline Losneck
/
Maine Public
Portland students rally on Friday.

Hundreds of students gathered outside Portland High School Friday afternoon to show their solidarity with a group of black students from Casco Bay High School, also in Portland, who were the targets of an alleged hate crime a week ago while waiting for a bus.

The Portland High students, along with some from Portland charter school Baxter Academy, gathered with signs and chants on the steps of Portland High School, then marched peacefully around the school.

“Racists won’t make America great again. We are here because we are proud to be Americans,” says Aelina Beca, a sophomore at Portland High.

Portland police announced Friday afternoon that an arrest was made in connection with the alleged hate crime. Officials say 20-year-old Jamie Hoffman from Portland was taken into custody at the Portland Police Department after being interviewed by detectives.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.