PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland State University (PSU) announced Tuesday morning that it has closed its campus downtown after pro-Palestinian protesters broke into the Millar Library Monday evening. Just after 6 a.m., the university said on social media that campus is closed "due to (the) ongoing incident at the library."
PSU did not say how long campus would be closed, and asked students to check their university email for updates.
The Portland Police Bureau hosted a press conference late Monday night to address pro-Palestinian protests at the PSU campus.
PSU President Ann Cudd said that following a peaceful rally on campus Monday afternoon, a "group of individuals" broke into the Millar Library at Portland State University on Monday night, and some were blocking access to the library. Portland Police Chief Bob Day estimated that 50 to 75 people broke into the library.
Cudd said the university asked Portland police to remove the trespassers from the library. Police did not give a timeline when that would happen and asked protesters to leave peacefully.
In relaying a timeline of events, Cudd said protesters began gathering in the South Park Blocks near the Portland State campus on Thursday. They were asked to leave the park Thursday night and Friday night when the park closed. The protesters then relocated to the library portico.
"I met with the protesters (Saturday morning) and talked to them. I asked them who they are. They said they were faculty, staff and students, but also community members at that time," Cudd said. "I asked them to let us have access to the library open, to vacate part of the portico. I felt that they should be able to make their points known at that point, and they agreed to that."
Cudd noted that leadership did not take immediate action against the encampment over the weekend to avoid escalating the situation. She said by Monday morning the encampment had grown and resulted in "much greater property damage" and "intimidation" of the campus community.
"Portland State University supports free speech. That's what we're all about. And we know that this issue, the war in Gaza, is important to many individuals in our community. Emotions are running high. Many feel that the injustices are just too large to ignore, and I understand this, but I cannot condone or excuse breaking and entering. I cannot condone the property damage that has taken place at PSU's library," Cudd said. "I've proven that I'm willing to entertain debate and discuss the demands of the protesters, but I would ask them now to choose to engage civilly on these issues rather than to resort to violence and property damage."
Cudd said PSU campus public safety officers were unable to enter the building to apprehend individuals who broke into the building due to the size of the crowd. PSU leadership then asked for help from Portland police to remove the protesters. During the news conference, Cudd asked students inside the library to leave peacefully before police get involved.
Day echoed Cudd's message asking protesters to peacefully.
"With the breaching of the library and the fortification going on at the library, this has now become a criminal event," Day said. "It's no longer considered to be a public order or free speech event and requires a different type of response."
Day said PPB will work with PSU leadership and city leadership to develop a plan, in the hopes of deescalating and resolving the situation with no arrests or use of force. Day said Monday night there is no timeline for when PPB plans to enter the library to vacate protesters.
"We have to make sure there are proper procedures and policies in place, safety-wise, for everyone involved. Not just members of the police bureau but the safety of the entire community," Day said. "This is going to take some time for us but we are creating this space now for people to abide by the law, and to leave and separate from this location."
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt also spoke at the briefing and said his office will prosecute any cases that arise from unlawful activity.
"I echo the chief's directives to vacate the premise. Let me be clear: we will prosecute the cases, pending review of evidence, of course," Schmidt said. "I expect that felony charges could be filed, depending on what evidence we gather, including burglary and felony criminal mischief, along with other potential misdemeanors."
Added Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler: "When people engage in criminal destruction and acts of violence, that is no longer the debate of ideas and that is no longer peaceful protest. That is criminal activity. We will not allow acts of criminal violence to carry the day in our city."
Students at Portland State University protest war in Gaza
Earlier in the day, calls for a ceasefire in Gaza echoed across the PSU campus. Among the many voicing their frustrations at a rally Monday afternoon were Palestinian American students Senna and Hannah.
"Every single university in Gaza is destroyed. Every single hospital is destroyed," Senna said. "Over two million people are displaced. At this point we have nothing. There's nothing we can do other than this."
"We are absolutely disappointed that our administration continues to fall back, in courage and bravery, and that their students keep leading the way into a future that we should all be following," Hannah said.
Demonstrators called on school administration to cut all ties with Boeing, as the company has reportedly supplied military hardware to Israel during the nation's widespread campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
"What is happening here at PSU does not exist in a vacuum," Senna said.
On college campuses nationwide, encampments have sprung up with similar demands for university divestment from Israel. Those include the University of Oregon and the University of Washington.
But not all students on these campuses agree with the demonstrators, and some said that they don't feel safe.
"No, I do not feel safe on campus," one student said. "I've been called names. I have been spit at."
PDX Hillel, an organization that supports Jewish undergrad and graduate students, told KGW that some PSU students feel intimated by certain messages that they say imply that the state of Israel should be eradicated. They're seeking action to ensure safe campuses, and have called on administrators to condemn instances of antisemitic intimidation.
