The nearly four-day occupation of a building at Portland State University has come to an end after rioters against Israel covered the building with graffiti, damaged the ceiling, and removed fire extinguishers.
The takeover of a library on the campus started on Monday when a group of troublemakers broke into the Branford Price Millar Library and stayed there until they were removed by law enforcement on Thursday, as reported by KGW 8. removed Upon entering the library, officers discovered extensive destruction of the school’s property. The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) shared that they found paint balloons, ink spray bottles, paint cups with a sign indicating they should be thrown at officers, various tools, ball bearings, and what seemed to be makeshift weapons. Allegedly, none of these items were used on police.
The library's first floor was covered with a slippery substance resembling soap, likely meant to cause officers to slip. The PPB also reported that the troublemakers hurled water bottles at officers, resulting in one officer being taken to a local hospital due to injuries. photos The library was extensively defaced with graffiti, including on books, tables, walls, doors, desks, and windows, all done by protesters against Israel.
Messages such as “f**k Biden,” “how many kids have you killed today?,” “resist,” “free Gaza,” and “make the right choice” were visible on campus property. slippery In addition, the troublemakers blocked stairwells with stacked chairs and broke glass windows and walls inside the building, creating a very unsafe situation for anyone entering. threw Out of the 12 individuals arrested on Thursday morning, only 4 were students at Portland State University. injuries.
Students at the University of Texas at Arlington claim to have found a way to set up a camp on the campus and avoid being arrested.
Multiple messages on display from graffiti inside the protest at the Portland State University Library.#Portland #protestforPalestine #PDX pic.twitter.com/cqnfTrnDD4
— Independent Media PDX (@NDpendentPDX) May 2, 2024
According to Fox 4 KDFW, police allegedly informed students on Thursday morning that protesting would not be allowed. In response, students brought tents and umbrellas to lay out on campus grounds instead.
Serahphine Pecson, a UT Arlington student, said to Fox 4, “We will be doing our best to not give the police an excuse to arrest us. We learned a lot from UT Austin and UT Dallas.”
Protests at UT Austin have been peaceful since the April 29 protests that resulted in the arrest of 79 anti-Israel protesters.
UT Austin released a statement on Monday stating that weapons such as “guns, buckets of large rocks, bricks, steel enforced wood planks, mallets, and chains” had been confiscated from protesters. Additionally, the statement reported that protesters had assaulted people during the riots.
However, prosecutors have stated that no weapon or assault charges have been filed. encampments Delia Garza, the Travis County Attorney, expressed her concern to KERA News, saying, “We work in the world of evidence and facts, and we have not seen a single weapons charge or assault charge.” She noted that none of the arrest warrants she viewed mentioned any of the weapons or assaults mentioned in UT Austin’s statement. She also called for the university to review its policies due to the high number of arrests on misdemeanor charges, which she described as “unsustainable.”
The next demonstration at UT Austin is scheduled for Sunday, May 5. Originally, it was supposed to happen on Wednesday, but was delayed on the same day.
At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, two members of a fraternity have become nationally known after they were photographed. arrest holding up the U.S. flag during an anti-Israel protest on campus, according to Fox News.
statement During an anti-Israel protest, the U.S. flag was replaced with a Palestinian flag early Tuesday morning. The U.S. flag was later raised again by law enforcement officers. When the protesters attempted to remove it again, a group of students, including the fraternity brothers, intervened to stop it from touching the ground.
Alex Jones, one of the fraternity brothers who held up the flag, told Fox News, 'I love America.' charges 'It's great to see people still willing to protect this flag with their bodies, minds, and souls. There are still patriots in this country who are willing to fight and even sacrifice themselves for this flag and country,' Jones added.
A GoFundMe titled 'Pi Kappa Phi Men Defended their flag. Throw 'em a Rager' has garnered over $500,000 since.
A nearly four-day occupation of a building at Portland State University was ended after anti-Israel protesters vandalized the building, causing damage and disrupting the campus. The occupation of a library on campus began on Monday with a separate group of troublemakers breaking away from an ongoing peaceful protest.
At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, two fraternity brothers have garnered national attention after they were photographed holding up the U.S. flag amid an anti-Israel protest on campus, per Fox News.
Anti-Israel activists replaced the U.S. flag early Tuesday morning with a Palestinian flag. Law enforcement officers later resurrected the U.S. flag, and when the protesters tried to take it down a second time, a group of students, including the fraternity brothers, stepped in, preventing it from hitting the ground.
“I love America,” said Alex Jones, one of the fraternity brothers who held up the flag, to Fox News.
“It’s good to see people still willing to put their bodies on the line, their mind and soul on the line, to protect this flag. There’s still patriots in this country that actually want to fight and would sacrifice themselves for this flag, for this country.”
A GoFundMe titled “Pi Kappa Phi Men Defended their flag. Throw ’em a Rager” has since raised over $500,000.
