An organizer of the Iowa City Latino Festival on Thursday announced that the event, initially scheduled for Aug. 25, has been postponed as organizers wish to send a message of solidarity to those affected by the death of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts.

A post on the Iowa City Latino Festival’s Facebook page said, “Festival organizers and the Latino community wish to send a message of respect and solidarity to her family and friends.”

“This tragic event should be a reason to work even harder to eliminate gender-based violence,” said the post, signed by organizer Manny Gálvez. “We are mourning as everybody the loss of Mollie Tibbetts, Sadie Alvarado and all the women that have lost their lives in a way that it is difficult to understand and assimilate.”

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, an undocumented immigrant, was charged this week with first-degree murder of Tibbetts, who was found dead Tuesday. The news has inflamed the immigration debate among politicians and on social media, with some condemning what they say is a “broken” immigration system.

Alvarado was another 20-year-old Iowa woman who was found dead in August.

The Des Moines Register reported earlier this month that Damian Hamann, 28, had been charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death in Alvarado’s death. Hamann told authorities he and Alvarado were arguing when she jumped out of his car.

“As Iowans, Latinos and Latinas are working to maintain the beautiful values of this state and to continue evolving to be a better society where inclusion, tolerance and love are the foundation of our communities,” Gálvez continued in the organization’s post. “We are a nation of immigrants, of different colors, races, and languages, connected in love, compassion, and solidarity.”

Johnson County Supervisor Janelle Rettig posted to Facebook on Thursday that the festival was postponed because “many Latinos are being targeted and are afraid of violence.”

“I hope all those spreading hate will think about that for a moment,” Rettig wrote. “Latino Fest in Iowa City has always been filled with children and multiple generations of families. The food, music, dancing, bright costumes and community is cancelled because of the hate and despicable messages being spread.

An evil man targeted and murdered a woman and an entire race is being punished.”

There is currently no date listed for when the festival may be rescheduled.