The Oregon Democratic Party’s state central committee abruptly canceled a meeting scheduled for this weekend at the Beaverton Elks Lodge.
The DPO’s central committee makes important decisions for the party, and the meeting was scheduled to hold a holiday party and approve the DPO’s 2024-25 budget. But at 9 p.m. Thursday, DPO Chair Dr. Rosa Colquitt sent an email to central committee members informing them that plans had changed.
āUnfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this Sunday’s SCC meeting and weekend activities,ā Colquitt wrote. āWe have received reliable information that we are unable to safely hold his in-person DPO events and meetings this weekend.ā
Instead, the commission will hold a special emergency meeting via Zoom on Dec. 2.
Colquitt’s email gave no explanation of the expected protests that would require the change.
In response to questions from WWDPO Executive Director Brad Martin issued a statement, but like Colquitt’s email, it did not specify the issues he feared caused the protesters.
“We have heard from multiple sources that protests are planned at this weekend’s DPO event,” Martin said. āWhile the party has always supported the right of individuals to peacefully protest, there was no confidence that these events could be held safely and securely, for either DPO participants or protesters. This was a difficult decision to make, but we have chosen this course to ensure everyone’s personal and physical safety and well-being.”
DPO officials declined to specify the cause of the unrest they are concerned about, but the issue energizing Democrats nationally is the Israel-Hamas war. Protesters showed up outside a Democratic National Committee rally in Washington, D.C., just as they did at a congressional office in Oregon earlier this week.
Local activist Robin Lanehurst made that clear Friday afternoon.
“Democratic voters and their supporters will gather outside the Beaverton Elks Lodge to protest the Oregon Democratic Party’s continued silence on the massacre in Gaza,” Lanehurst said in a statement, adding that DPO He added that protesters will gather even though the in-person meeting will not take place.
“According to a recent Reuters poll, almost 75% of Democrats support calls for a ceasefire in Gaza,” Lanehurst said. āHowever, no elected officials in the Portland area are joining this call, nor is the Oregon Democratic Party as a whole.ā