Springfield cancels CultureFest as immigration controversy stokes threats, safety concerns
The city of Springfield canceled its upcoming CultureFest "in light of recent threats and safety concerns," the city announced Monday.
The event, a yearly "celebration of unity through diversity," would have been held Sept. 27 and 28 in downtown Springfield. City officials consulted with local and state law enforcement and decided canceling the event is "the most responsible course of action," a city spokesperson wrote in a Facebook post.
“We deeply regret having to cancel CultureFest, as we know it is a beloved event for our community,” City Manager Bryan Heck said in the post. “However, the safety of our residents and visitors must come first.”
Multiple schools, a city building and county agencies in Springfield were evacuated last week due to bomb threats that occurred after multiple prominent conservative figures, including former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen JD Vance, spread debunked claims that Haitian immigrants in the community were eating pets and wildlife.
A copy of a bomb threat sent to multiple Springfield facilities Thursday disparaged Haitian immigrants and echoed the claims of Haitians eating pets, USA TODAY previously reported.
Wittenberg University, a private college in Springfield, moved its classes online Monday and canceled all events at its Springfield campus after it received a shooting threat and a bomb threat. Clark State College, a public community college in Springfield, moved all its classes online this week after receiving the same threats.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Springfield cancels CultureFest after threats related to immigration
