SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — An Ohio city at the center of a political furor over Haitian migrants canceled its annual celebration of cultural diversity on Monday in response to days of violent threats that have closed schools and government offices. The governor, meanwhile, said resources would be surged to Springfield to help city officials deal with the fallout.
Springfield's two-day CultureFest, which highlights diversity, arts and culture, had been scheduled to begin Sept. 27 but was canceled “in light of recent threats and safety concerns,” the city announced.
“We deeply regret having to cancel CultureFest, as we know it is a beloved event for our community,” City Manager Bryan Heck said in a statement. “However, the safety of our residents and visitors must come first.”
Springfield has been the focus of intense attention in recent days after former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and the Republican presidential campaign have amplified debunked claims about Haitian immigrants eating domestic pets and waterfowl.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has denounced the false rumors, saying there is no evidence of it. He said at a news conference in Springfield on Monday that dozens of members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol will be stationed in Springfield schools starting Tuesday, sweeping each building every morning before the arrival of faculty or students. Security cameras have also been stationed at various spots in the city.
Springfield City Hall, several schools and state motor vehicle offices were forced to evacuate last week after receiving bomb threats.
"It's placed an incredible strain on the resources of Springfield to respond to these calls and these threats," said Andy Wilson, director of Ohio's Department of Public Safety.
At least 33 separate bomb threats were made in recent days, all of them hoaxes, DeWine said. He said some of the threats came from overseas, but declined to name the country.
"We cannot let the bad guys win. Our schools must remain open. They are going to remain open," DeWine said.
Two colleges in Springfield held classes virtually on Monday. Wittenberg University said it received two threats over the weekend, “both of which were targeted toward members of the Haitian Community.” Clark State College said it would operate virtually through Friday "due to recent events in Springfield."
"At a time that we really need to be lifting up Springfield, lifting up Wittenberg, we're just having to, instead, debunk all of these rumors and waste so much time and energy," said Clair Linkhart, Springfield resident and Wittenberg University alum. "As a liberal arts school, we embrace change, we embrace diversity."
Wittenberg's homecoming festivities are happening October 3-6th. After CultureFest was canceled, Linkhart is wondering if some of the threats will continue into the weekend of celebrations.
"I'm really hopeful that we can move forward and things have kind of died down by then, but we'll see," she said.
Thousands of Haitian immigrants have settled in recent years in the predominantly white, blue-collar city of about 60,000, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) from the state capital of Columbus, where they have found work in factories and warehouses that had been struggling to fill job openings. The sudden influx has strained schools, health care facilities and city services and driven up the cost of housing.
President Joe Biden, appearing in Philadelphia at the National HBCU Week Conference on Monday, addressed the situation in Springfield, condemning what he called the “lies and hate.”
“It’s wrong. It’s simply wrong. And it must stop,” he said.
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