About two dozen demonstrators, most of them Portland State University students and alumni, rallied on the steps of PSU’s Richard Maurine Neuberger Center Monday. The students held signs that read “disclose and divest” and chanted “Gaza’s struggle is our fight - students of the world unite.”

The student-led protest marked the one year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that ultimately led to the ongoing war in Gaza. About 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023; an estimated 41,000 Palestinians have died since then in Israeli bombardments.

The leaders of Monday’s demonstration at PSU unveiled an updated list of seven demands for university leaders. Many of the demands mirrored student calls from last spring, like the call for the university to end its relationships with companies that do business with Israel and for Portland State President Ann Cudd to resign.

Cudd has already committed to reviewing Portland State’s financial investments and partnerships.

But there were also new demands. Students at the demonstration called for all charges and punishments made against students involved in last school year’s protests to be dropped immediately.

A student who attended the anniversary protest, who did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation, said they felt free speech on campus has been chilled this school year.

“I definitely feel less like I want to speak out. I’m afraid,” said the Portland State junior. “The [students] who were protesting got expelled and put in jail. I don’t feel like my right to free speech is protected at all.”

A Portland State spokesperson said the university has 32 student disciplinary cases related to last school year’s protests. More than half of the cases have been decided by student conduct proceedings, while the rest are still pending. PSU has expelled one student, suspended four and put seven on probation in connection to the spring protests. Five of the open cases involve former students.

The student speaking to OPB at the Monday protest said they also feared physical violence at protests. Last May, Portland Police Bureau officers assisted PSU campus police at protests and a driver drove through a crowd of demonstrators on campus.

Monday’s small group of protesters was just a murmur compared to the student-led protests from last spring, when hundreds of demonstrators rallied at the downtown campus and protesters occupied the Branford Price Millar Library for several days.

Despite the small showing, a PSU student organizer, who also did not wish to be identified, said there will be more rallies this school year.

“Students are still ready to rebel. There’s still a lot of support,” said the PSU sophomore. “We can’t let [Portland State] take unjustified action against students for demonstrating their right to freedom of speech.”

Protests at other Oregon universities also took place on Monday. About 50 students at Portland’s Reed College rallied for about an hour inside Eliot Hall, the school’s administration building. A spokesperson with the college said the students gave speeches and dispersed on their own without incident.

A march and rally are planned near the University of Oregon campus in Eugene for Monday evening. An installation appeared on a UO quad Monday, made of white crosses adorned with the faces of Israeli hostages, with messages like “bring them home” printed on them.

This story may be updated.

OPB Eugene correspondent Julia Boboc contributed to this story.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2024/10/07/students-college-oregon-rally-war-gaza-israel/