Springfield, Ohio, cancels its annual cultural celebration over public safety concerns

() – Springfield, Ohio, has canceled its annual arts and culture festival following recent threats and safety concerns, the city announced Monday.

The city “made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s CultureFest,” it said in a statement. Facebook“The decision was made with the utmost consideration for the safety and well-being of our community and event participants.”

CultureFestan annual celebration of diversity, arts and local culture, was scheduled to take place on September 27 and 28.

City officials consulted with local and state law enforcement and determined that canceling the event is “the most responsible course of action to prevent any potential risk to attendees, staff, vendors and volunteers,” the city wrote.

“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 statement. “However, the safety of our residents and visitors must come first.”

Clark State College and Wittenberg University, which have campuses in Springfield, moved classes online Monday in response to email threats received over the weekend, previously reported.

In addition to these educational institutions, Springfield City Hall, two elementary schools and two hospitals in the area are also among the places that have received threats following former President and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s insistence on false claims during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

In that debate, Trump said that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Ohio.

State Governor Mike DeWine (Republican) flatly denied this false rumor and praised Haitian immigrants for their positive influence in the community.

“No. Absolutely not,” DeWine said when asked if he had seen any evidence of the pet-eating rumor, a story that many Republicans, including Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, have promoted.

The governor said Haitian immigrants in Springfield are “positive influences” in the community and “any comments to the contrary I think are hurtful and not helpful to the city of Springfield and the people of Springfield.”

DeWine called the discussion surrounding the rumors “ridiculous,” but said he believes Trump will win Ohio in the presidential election. He did not directly answer when asked if his support for the GOP candidate had weakened in any way.

–With information from Chris Boyette, .