Increasingly, The Thug Vote Is Winning In America
We supposedly don't negotiate with terrorists -- um...except on the local level.

In Portland, anonymous thugs' threat of violence has cancelled the 82nd Annual Avenue of Roses Parade. Jamie Hale writes in The Oregonian:

A threatening email has derailed one of the Portland Rose Festival's signature events, and spurred new debate about the ongoing political protests in Portland.

Organizers of the 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade announced Tuesday that the event will be canceled, for fear that the east Portland parade could be disrupted by "the type of riots which happen in downtown Portland."

This year's parade was once again set to feature the Multnomah County Republican Party as one of the many groups slated to march, but that inclusion drew ire from some of the city's left-leaning protest groups.

At least two protests were planned for the day of the parade, one by Oregon Students Empowered and another by Direct Action Alliance. Both events were mentioned in an email sent to parade organizers on Saturday, threatening to shut down the event with hundreds of protesters in the street.

"You have seen how much power we have downtown and that the police cannot stop us from shutting down roads so please consider your decision wisely," the anonymous email said, telling organizers they could cancel the Republican group's registration or else face action from protesters. "This is non-negotiable."

...Organizers pulled out after contacting Portland police, according to Rich Jarvis, spokesman for the Rose Festival Foundation. When police said they couldn't offer any additional security for the parade, organizers decided to cancel it due to safety concerns.

"The showdown was imminent," Jarvis said. "They were boxed into a corner, they simply had no choice. In order to avoid a violent outbreak, they had to cancel the parade."

He said the festival has received other threats from local protest groups, who voiced displeasure about the annual Fleet Week event in particular. While it would be significantly more difficult to disrupt an event of that magnitude, it's within the realm of possibility.

"It's all about safety for our fans, first and foremost. If we can't provide safety for our fans, there's no use in trying," Jarvis said. "Our official position is we're extremely sad about this."

A comment on the site, which perhaps puts the fears of violence in perspective for those of us who don't live there:

PDXMic
This is nuts! I saw the destruction and threats of these anarchist thugs in the Pearl right after the election. So I am very sympathetic with the dilemma of the organizers. However, as a community we can't allow this to stand. This is an event to celebrate all of Portland while showcasing a particular part of the neighborhood. If the sponsors won't proceed with the parade, let's have an anti-fear demonstration the same day and hour. Promoted the right way, thousands will show up to stand against anti-civic bullying. Hiding behind anonymity these delinquents are no more liberals that the county GOP are fascists. Good grief!

Another:

Judy Dippel
I am shocked. I am sad. I cannot believe it. The anarchist group gets to decide what the rest of us get to enjoy in Portland. A long-standing, valued tradition is going to be cancelled because of THEM. Please SOMEONE in power in Portland get real, care about the rest of us, and keep this parade on the docket. If you succumb to these threats, it will only trample the rights of the rest of us who want to joyfully and peacefully choose what we want to do in this life. I want SOMEONE to stand up and be sure the parade goes on. I'm ashamed of our weakness against tyrants who trample at will.

via @marcorandazza