Portland parade canceled over anonymous threat

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A parade in a Portland neighborhood has been canceled because of an anonymous threatening e-mail.

Organizers of the 82nd Avenue of the Roses Parade earlier this week canceled the parade out of safety concerns.

The event was to include marchers from the Multnomah County Republican Party. Two groups, Oregon Students Empowered and Direct Action Alliance, had planned protests for Saturday.

The groups say they did not send the threatening e-mail.

The Direct Action Alliance nonetheless says it’s disappointed the local GOP party had planned to allow “a neo-Nazi hate group march” with them in the event.

The Multnomah County Republican Party Chairman James Buchal says protesters are “delusional” if they think party members would march with “folks carrying swastikas.”

The cancellation will not impact the famous Rose Parade in June.