Protesters occupy PSU library as classes are canceled Tuesday

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Protesters continue to occupy Portland State University’s library Tuesday afternoon in a protest over the war in Gaza as organizers ramp up makeshift fortifications to the building with wooden pallets. The school has announced that the campus will be closed today.

Late Monday night, Mayor Ted Wheeler, Portland police chief Bob Day, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt and PSU president Ann Cudd came together to address the media about the library occupation, encouraging the protesters to leave peacefully.

According to Cudd, the protests were peaceful until Monday morning, saying the “encampment has grown and has resulted in much more significant property damage and intimidation.”

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Authorities are saying the protest has crossed the line from a free speech event into a criminal event. Schmidt even said that his office will prosecute cases as they come in and that “felony charges could be filed.”

For a majority of Monday, protestors remained in an encampment on campus, with most leaving before 7 p.m. however some remained at what they called the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” outside the PSU library. KOIN 6 News crews who were on campus saw extensive tagging and graffiti on campus buildings, including the library.

By Tuesday afternoon, KOIN 6 News observed a mixed group of students, staff and community members. They appeared to increase efforts to fortify the building, with trucks dropping off wooden pallets and crates. We asked students their thoughts on the matter.

“Destroying public property, destroying the library resources that many students use, I don’t support that,” one student said. “It’s sort of getting in the way of stuff I’m trying to do for school but it’s not as big of a deal as I guess what they’re protesting for.”

While the library remains occupied, it’s still open for students to use.

PSU students, faculty and community members began rallying late last week for the university to cut ties to Boeing and other companies connected to the war in Gaza. As a result, Cudd announced the university would be pausing accepting financial gifts from Boeing. A second student-led group began the occupation of the library, whose makeshift barricade is now painted with pro-Palestinian messages, this week.

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Despite calls by city and university leaders to disperse or face potential prosecution, organizers say they aren’t going anywhere until student’s demands are met.

“We want them to cut ties, we want them to acknowledge that genocide is happening,” one student organizer told KOIN 6 News. “The whole point of a university is to be the voice of the students. In the same way that we elect our officials to represent us in the government, the students who are paying enormous amounts of money to be here expect that the campus and the college that they chose continues to reflect the values that they chose this college for.”

PSU shared on X that the campus will be closed on Tuesday and directed all students to check their emails for updates.

Police have not given a timeline for when they would enter the library.

Stay tuned with KOIN 6 as we bring you more on this situation.

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