Harney County Judge Steve Grasty has canceled a community meeting scheduled for Monday, Jan. 25.
Amanda Peacher / OPB
A Harney County community meeting scheduled for Monday, Jan. 25 has been canceled citing a public safety issue.
Harney County Judge Steve Grasty announced an alternate community meeting format last week after learning that school facilities were no longer available due to the number of firearms present at a previous meeting.
"As we looked at public sentiment, I think we're creating more of a split and I think there's a public safety issue," said Grasty of the canceled Jan. 24 meeting.
Related: News Release - Meeting Cancellation
The meeting was to be held at the Harney County Senior Center. The smaller venue would only allow for about 150 ticket-holding Harney County residents to attend.
Preparations by militants to protest and block the entrance to the senior center led Grasty to cancel the meeting to ensure the safety of the community, he said in a statement.
“Further, I will not give these agitators what they want most, which is attention,” Grasty said.