Portland State University closed its campus after activists barricaded themselves in the library, while students at the University of Oregon began a peaceful protest. The student activists in Oregon are part of a nationwide movement setting up pro-Palestinian encampments on college campuses. The protesters at both Portland State University and the University of Oregon have a list of demands, including boycotting Israel and divesting from companies with ties to Israel. PSU students specifically called for cutting ties with Boeing, a major defense company. The protests at PSU escalated quickly, leading to activists barricading themselves in the library, while UO students held a peaceful rally. The situation is ongoing, with PSU pausing its relationship with Boeing and urging protesters to leave the library peacefully. Meanwhile, the University of Oregon’s encampment remains peaceful as organizers demand the university boycott and divest from Israeli entities.
Tea also acknowledged that the group chants about the Intifada.
“When we chant ‘globalize the Intifada’ and revolution, we are about standing against oppression,” said Tea. “We mean a peaceful revolution.”
But on April 30, the White House condemned the use of the term “intifada,” the Arabic word for uprising or rebellion as the Biden administration sought to push back against “antisemitic smears and violent rhetoric” as a part of college protests.
Andrew Bates, a White House assistant press secretary, said in a statement that President Joe Biden “condemns the use of the term ‘intifada,’ as he has the other tragic and dangerous hate speech displayed in recent days.”
“I don’t really believe we agree on that statement,” said Tea.
She went on to explain that the protesters’ goals.
“We want the university to divest from companies like Lockheed Martin,” she said.
Lockheed Martin supplies Israel with F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, Hellfire missiles, and other weaponry used in the conflict.
In an alert to community members on April 29, the University of Oregon administration said it supported the right to free speech, but would be watchful for any student conduct code violations or losses of business opportunity.
“As we have seen over the last week, universities across the nation who have taken a hard stance, including calling in law enforcement as an early response, have seen an escalation in violence, including harm to bystanders and students alike,” the letter said.
“In keeping with our longstanding protocols, university representatives have been in communication with those participating, outlining relevant institutional policies and advising them of an existing reservation for that space later this week.”
The University of Oregon has its own police department that may be called upon to engage in scenarios where illegal activities take place or if there are immediate, specific, and targeted threats to physical safety.
