(AP) The annual “Hands Around The Capitol” event that protests the supreme court decision legalizing abortion has been canceled.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland announced that Saturday’s event was canceled “due to safety reasons.”

The event has been each year since the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision. During the event, participants gather around the Statehouse and a bell is rung for each year since the ruling.

Organizers had previously said the event would carry on and urged participants to wear masks. But the possibility of violent demonstrations at statehouses motivated organizers to cancel, said diocese spokesman Dave Guthro.

“The organizers cancelled it over the general threats of violence to statehouses around the country. No specific threat,” he said. “Organizers felt they couldn’t guarantee safety of participants this year, so they made the tough call.”