A rally and march are scheduled for Friday evening in Biddeford to condemn a recent attack on an African-American man that police say was racially motivated.
The “Standing Together For Racial Justice” rally and march will begin at 5:30 p.m. outside Biddeford City Hall. Speakers will include Shay Stewart-Bouley, the writer behind Black Girl in Maine Media and executive director of Community Change Inc. in Boston.
Also scheduled to speak is 12-year-old Biddeford resident Achoya Katanga. The event will include a march through downtown.
The rally and march were organized after the Maine Attorney General’s Office filed a civil complaint accusing two Biddeford men of violating the state’s Civil Rights Act during an assault on an African-American man in April. Police and prosecutors said Maurice Diggins and Dusty Leo used a racial epithet to address the victim and repeatedly struck him in the head.
“We wanted to stand up to say that Biddeford needs to be about inclusion and justice and that this kind of violent behavior is not accepted here,” said Delilah Poupore, one of the organizers.
Leo and Diggins have been charged criminally with aggravated assault. They could face up to a year in prison and fines of $2,000 on the civil complaint if they are convicted of committing a racially motivated attack.
Gillian Graham can be contacted at 791-6315 or at:
ggraham@pressherald.com
Twitter: grahamgillian
Send questions/comments to the editors.
