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Gaza Protests Continue Despite Fears of Retaliatory Action 

Portland, Maine—Protesters organized a press conference outside of Portland City Hall on Tuesday, demanding an immediate end to the Gaza conflict and the release of student activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested and detained by ICE despite his legal U.S. status.

The rally marked 541 days since Israel launched retaliatory measures against Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel, which killed 1,200 Israelis. What began as a conflict that initially united Western nations behind Israel quickly eroded as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza surged. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 51,021 Palestinians have been killed—mostly women and children— and 113,274 wounded since Oct. 7. 

The situation for Palestinians within the Gaza Strip is dire. Millions are without adequate food, water, or medical supplies. Unable to bury their loved ones and forced to eat animal feed to survive, many aid workers are calling it a humanitarian crisis of historic proportions, and with the instability of ceasefire negotiations, it is uncertain when the crisis will end.

Outrage over the catastrophic loss of innocent lives throughout Gaza, a strip of land that is only 141 square miles, has fueled continued protests across the U.S. and throughout Maine, amplified by live, unedited footage of the conflict, prompting many Mainers to demand a permanent ceasefire.

“This is the first time in history an active genocide has been live streamed and no one’s stopped it,” said Linda Wiltshire, a longtime opponent of U.S. involvement in the Israel-Hamas war. Like many demonstrators, she demands an end to American tax dollars funding what she terms “child murder.”

The cause for protest surrounding the Israel-Hamas war compounds daily, fueled by a growing national political divide. Many believe the U.S. involvement in Gaza led to Kamala Harris losing the presidential race. “I wasn’t going to vote for ‘Genocide Joe’ or Harris,” said Richard Boyles, a staunch Democrat who voted for Biden in 2020, “I just can’t get the images I’ve seen out of my mind. Who could support this?” His emotional resolve, visibly shaken.

Blame, however, is in no short supply. Harris voters, despite her support for the U.S.’s involvement in the conflict, condemn non-voters for the current state of the country, “What did these people not voting do for our country?” asked Katherine Scholl, “I don’t agree with what’s happening in Gaza—that’s why I’m here, but it’s going to be worse under Trump and now we are losing our rights too.” The tension at these protests is palpable—a culmination of fear, uncertainty, frustration, and exhaustion.

Signs held by trembling fingers, resonating with both freezing temperatures and nerves, offer a harrowing reflection of the current state of unrest within the United States—a continuation of the controversy surrounding 2024 protests that sparked national debate about constitutionally protected First Amendment rights and state suppression of protests. The concerns of Americans and their right to free speech and assembly continue to mount as Palestinian activists continue being targeted by the Trump administration. 

The arrests of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student who led the 2024 encampment at Columbia University, and Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student, who criticized Tufts University’s Gaza response in a 2024 Tufts Daily op-ed—demanding the university “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide”— have left many pro-Palestinian protesters, inclusing U.S. citizens, questioning their right to peaceful assembly. 

“These people were here legally, and were still arrested by masked men and thrown in unmarked cars,” said Bre Smith. “If they weren’t protected by our Constitution, then how do we know any of us are? This is a crisis and someone needs to do something,” she continued. 

 Yet, despite the fear of government retaliation, the resilience of Mainers continues to reveal itself through the timeless American catalyst of change: protest.  Donning keffiyehs as both an act of defiance and solidarity, they meet fear with hope, chanting demands for an immediate cease-fire and a “free Palestine”—their voices echoing calls for freedom, not only for Palestinians, but for those who fight alongside them.

Diversity Programs Continue to Leave Minorities Without Protection or Representation

South Portland Maine-Mohammad Albehadli, was forced to resign from his position at the South Portland Maine school district, as the diversity equity and inclusion coordinator, following a threatening email he received on Dec.29 from Ryan Murdough, a known white supremacist and founder of the New England White Network.

“The most vile email message I have seen in my 35 years of education,” said Tim Matheney, the Superintendent of South Portland schools, when asked about the contents of the email.

Albehadli, who grew up in Karbala Iraq, and has been a resident of the state of Maine for the past 6 years, not only resigned from his position as the diversity equity and inclusion coordinator for the South Portland school district but is also choosing to leave the state due to safety concerns for him and his family.

The incident surrounding Mohammad Albehadli is not an isolated one. White supremacy groups and racially motivated hate crimes have been on the rise across the country.

“Many of us, if we can, choose to hide our identity, to try to protect ourselves from discrimination and from being the target of a hate crime,” said Deny Doborov, director of international relations for the World Roma Foundation.

Doborov, a resident of New York, stated that discrimination and concerns over the safety of his family have become a part of his everyday life.

“I have been trying to fight for protection, or even just recognition, for the Roma in the US for over 20 years now. It has been a slow progression with what feels like little to no progress,” said Doborov.

Romani people, often known as the misnomer Gypsy, are the largest discriminated against minority, globally. Though much of the Romani people can be found across Europe, over one million Romani are living in the United States.

Maya Preisler, a Romani woman living in Florida, stated that the widespread discrimination and violence experienced by those who are part of Middle Eastern and Romani communities goes widely unacknowledged.

“This violence and discrimination continues because of the upholding of white supremacist ideologies across the country, and lack of representation and concern from our elected officials,” said Preisler, “In Pennsylvania, there are still laws on the books that specifically forbid the practice of Gypsy arts such as tarot and tea leaf reading, which are tied directly to some of our oldest cultural practices,” she continued.

Data from the Anti-Defamation League shows that, in New England, in just one-year, active white supremacy groups have risen by 96%. According to the FBI, racially motivated hate crimes have reached an all-time high across the country, increasing by 7% in 2022.

“The only way this violence and discrimination is going to stop is if we have voices in places that matter. We need actual representation from our elected officials,” said Doborov.

This is a story of hope. This is the story of Alfred (Published 2019 in Inspiration Unfolded Magazine, Australia) 

We don’t often notice the extraordinary miracles that exist within the day-to-day moments of our lives. Bringing hope, they arise in the most unexpected places and, in their humble silence, often go unacknowledged. Existing only for a moment, they burn brightly, and if missed, they silently disappear, leaving no trace they ever existed at all.

Miracles and hope are ideals that many seek within libraries filled with literature based on the philosophical teachings of brilliant minds such as Confucius or Socrates. Others search for these ideals in the pages of the Bible, taught before a kneeling congregation and resting neatly upon church pews. I found hope in neither.

Even though it has been several years, I still vividly remember the day I met Alfred.

It was an unseasonably warm day in our little coastal community. As I walked through the doors of the local market, the cool air touched my face, offering relief from the heat. I passed a sign that read, “Live, Local, Fresh,” attached to a tank filled with the local crab catch. It was there that I first saw Alfred.

He must not have looked like much, for he went unnoticed by everyone who passed him. His arms desperately reached for help—so close, yet so far from his grasp. From a distance, through the bustling crowd, I saw him. He did not have much room to move among the other crabs that lay seemingly lifeless around him, sitting and forever waiting for the cruel hand of fate to snatch them from the watery prison that contained them. It was an unfamiliar world offering no escape. Through the years, I have seen this same scene in many markets, and the feeling it evokes is always the same: sadness. But Alfred was different.

I watched as he repeatedly climbed to the top of the pile of crabs beneath him, refusing to succumb to helplessness. He still wore barnacles on his shell, leaving me to believe that, for him, freedom was more than a distant memory. Over and over, he reached the top of the tank, stretching all his legs over the edge for a fleeting touch of freedom, only to be thrust back into the watery grave below. Though the odds were bleak, he had not lost hope, and his relentless will to try carried on. As far as he could tell, his home was just beyond the walls he so desperately tried to climb. Watching him, I saw much more than “just a crab.” I saw hope. After that realization, I had no choice—I bought Alfred.

I cringed as the worker scooped him violently from the water and tossed him onto the hard countertop. She took out two pieces of brown paper, set him on his back, and folded him tightly before stuffing him into a plastic bag, as though he were already dead. To her, his life didn’t matter—but to him, it did. I flinched at how roughly she handled him. More so, I winced at the thought of him bound tightly, with no light, no water, and no certainty. I carried him through the market like a fragile bundle, careful not to jostle him. When it came time to pay, I kept hold of him tightly, letting the woman read the price tag herself. I was afraid that if I handed him over, she might be even rougher than the woman who bound him. I paid quickly and hurried to the car.

When I reached the car, I loaded everything as fast as I could, setting Alfred gently on the seat before unwrapping him. As I did, he stretched his legs in relief, extending them one by one across the paper bag. I positioned him carefully, creating a makeshift shelter to make him feel safe, and we began the journey to return him to his home. Time was of the essence.

I knew of a secluded beach with very few people. When we arrived, I picked him up from the paper shelter and carried him to the soft sand at the water’s edge. Throughout all of this, he never once tried to pinch me. He was sweet—a gentle soul behind a tough exterior—earning himself the name Alfred.

He stood at the edge of the water, feeling it lap against his legs, his gaze fixed on the vast sea. It felt like an eternity as I waited for him to return to the waters he called home. Then, he turned and looked at me, pausing to show an unforgettable display of happiness before giving a final wave goodbye. I have never seen such joy in a creature so many insist has no emotions.

Setting Alfred free was an experience I will never forget. It remains with me to this day. Some may say, “What’s the point? Someone will just capture him again,” or “It’s just a crab.” To them, I say this: at no point did I ever see “just a crab.” I saw hope fighting its way to the surface, even when all seemed lost. I saw a will to live. Alfred is a reflection of perseverance and a testament to the resilience of life, a reminder that even in the direst circumstances, hope can endure and inspire us to act with compassion.

Kindness and hope are not confined within a single moment; they create ripples that endure. Today, that ripple touched the shore where sand meets sea, before vanishing beneath the waves.

This is a story of hope. This is the story of Alfred.

Increased Rates of Tick-Borne Disease in Maine Impacting Tourism with Rising Public Health 

Augusta, Maine- The Maine Center for Disease Control has issued a warning to the public reminding them that disease-carrying ticks can remain active anytime the temperature is above freezing. 

In Maine, there are 14 different species of ticks, the most common of which is the black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick. The black-legged tick can transmit several devastating diseases to people, including Lyme disease and the deadly Powassan virus, which took the life of 58-year-old Robert Weymouth, of Topsham, in May of 2023.

Despite the warnings from Maine CDC, tickborne diseases continue to be a rising public health concern.

Ticks live in forested areas, hiding in tall grasses and leaf debris, making Maine, which consists of 90% forest, the perfect habitat for harboring these invasive arachnids. 

Maine had the highest number of tickborne diseases ever recorded in the state in 2023, with 2,706 cases of Lyme disease, 738 cases of anaplasmosis, 173 cases of babesiosis, 12 cases of hard tick relapsing fever, and five instances of Powassan, reported by the Maine CDC. 

The rise in tickborne diseases is not specific to the state of Maine. It has become a national crisis. Data released by the United States Center for Disease Control shows that Lyme disease cases have more than doubled across the country since 2004, with more than 476,000 people becoming infected each year, with the majority of the cases occurring within the Northeastern part of the United States. 

In Maine, 40% of deer ticks, also known as black-legged ticks, carry Lyme disease. The threat of catching a tickborne illness is so high that it could impact tourism. 

After learning of the tick crisis across Maine, Lissy Clifford, a mother of 3 and a marine biologist for the Oregon Coast Aquarium, decided to avoid the state altogether when planning their cross-country trip to the East Coast. 

"We have three children, and none of us were interested in going to places that we could not enjoy for fear of catching a disease from the local tick population. In the end, we decided to skip Maine," said Clifford. 

Experts are worried that the rapid increase of ticks and tickborne illnesses could hurt Maine's tourist industry, which generates over 3.5 billion in revenue for the state each year. 

Since 2019, a team of ecologists, entomologists, and climate scientists have been working with tourism and recreational experts to find a solution to the growing population of ticks within the state. While experts continue looking for answers, the impact of ticks and tickborne illnesses within Maine continues to increase, bringing new public safety concerns, frustration, and uncertainty for residents and their pets. 

"The tick crisis in Maine is unbelievable," said Suzanne McCaig of Vassalboro, Maine, "My seven-year-old little dog gets flea and tick medicine and his Lyme vaccine and only plays in my front yard. Every year, he still gets multiple ticks embedded throughout the season. As a result, he has gotten other tickborne diseases." 

Effective Treatment options for people and pets are limited and expensive, offering little to no relief. 

"When my dog is having a flare-up, there is nothing I can do but give him meds to knock him out. It breaks my heart,' said McCaig. 

As the tick population continues to grow, so do the feelings of frustration and helplessness. With nothing available to work as an effective deterrent and limited knowledge on treating the complex diseases associated with tickborne illnesses, many Mainers have little hope for relief.