White supremacist group issues fliers Lewiston area targeted over Somali spat

LEWISTON – Members of one of two white supremacist groups hoping to use the influx of Somalis to boost their memberships in Maine went door-to-door handing out fliers on Saturday.

Members of the National Alliance who said they were from Boston, Chicago and Newark, N.J., appeared on doorsteps to promote their cause.

“If you don’t put a stop to the massive immigration that’s coming, like 1,000 in 18 months, your city is going to be like the ones we come from,” one of the National Alliance members told WCSH-TV in Portland.

The West Virginia-based National Alliance has handed out pamphlets at least once before in Lewiston and has created a Web site designed to recruit members from the area. World Church of the Creator, another white supremacist group, will hold a rally next month at the Lewiston Armory calling for the expulsion of the city’s Somali residents.

The groups targeted Lewiston after a letter from Mayor Larry Raymond to the Somali community drew national attention.

Raymond said the influx of approximately 1,000 Somalis was straining the city’s resources, and he urged Somali residents to discourage relatives and friends from relocating to the city.

Several Lewiston residents like Norm Deschaine didn’t care for the message delivered to their doorsteps Saturday by the National Alliance. Deschaine said the pamphlet wasn’t even worth reading.

The National Alliance’s appearance came a day after Lewiston residents discussed plans for a peaceful counter rally when the World Church of the Creator holds its event Jan. 11 in Lewiston.