Due to threats against protests tied to the infamous lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955, Bowling Green, Kentucky, has postponed its annual Christmas procession slated for Saturday.
The cancellation was confirmed in a tweet by the city. Police Chief Michael Delaney said in a Facebook video that at least three groups planned to protest at two places at noon on Saturday.
Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower stated that his office received threats late Friday evening to “kill everybody who is protesting” or assisting demonstrators.
“At this time, we have not been able to determine the authenticity of the threat; however, we believe it is vital to notify our folks,” added the sheriff.
According to CNN affiliate WBKO, the protestors want a Mississippi court to order the arrest of Carolyn Bryant Donham, a White woman now in her late 80s who accused Till of whistling at her in 1955 in Mississippi. He was kidnapped, tortured, and lynched in a case that garnered national attention and fueled the civil rights movement.
Donham’s last known address is believed to be an apartment in Bowling Green, according to WKBO.
Donham was never arrested in connection with Till’s death, but a warrant for her arrest was discovered in a Mississippi courthouse basement earlier this year. In August, a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict Donham.
The Bowling Green-Warren County NACCP has stated that it would not be protesting on Saturday.
“This is due in part to event safety concerns, as well as focusing our energy on individuals who are currently discriminated against and require immediate assistance,” the charity stated in a statement last week.