For the second consecutive year, organizers in Uganda have been forced to cancel Pride celebrations in Kampala, the nation's capital.

“It is with very heavy hearts and deep-felt sadness that we announce the cancellation of Pride Uganda 2017,” organizers said in a statement posted on the LGBT site Kuchu Times.

“The community realized the need for us to stand together, hold one another’s hands, celebrate our diversity but most importantly acknowledge and pat our selves on the back for the hard work we put into creating visibility and influencing policy change, all year round.”

“Sadly, even all the courage and determination that we carry in our hearts is not enough to put the lives of so many innocent people at risk.”

Organizers said that they decided to cancel the event after police this week “surrounded” the venues where events were scheduled to take place.

“[Minister of Ethics] Hon Simon Lokodo, has over the last couple of weeks threatened us with arrest, and even went as far as revealing his intentions to physically harm one of the leaders within the movement if he came in contact with her. He has categorically stated, time and again that gender and sexual minorities have no rights in Uganda and today had all the venues of the planned Pride events surrounded by state militia. He has abused our very existence by stripping us of even the very basic of our rights, he refuses to acknowledge our humanity or right of association, speech, movement as well as freedom from degrading treatment,” they wrote.

Lokodo used similar tactics to shut down last year's Pride.

(Related: Uganda Pride canceled.)

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the U.S.'s largest LGBT rights advocate, called the cancellation a violation of human rights.

“This action by the Ugandan government to shut down Pride is a clear violation of LGBTQ Ugandans' human rights,” said HRC Global Director Ty Cobb in a statement. “Ugandan citizens have the right to peacefully assemble and celebrate. The Ugandan government must reverse course and permit this gathering to proceed. Anything less is an assault on fundamental human rights.”