My Statement and Request Following Last Night's Protest at RMNC
May 24, 2024
10:19 a.m.
Dear Campus Community,
Last night following a pro-Palestinan protest that began in Urban Plaza, a group of individuals marched to the Richard & Maurine Neuberger Center and obstructed the entrance to the building. As we saw on Wednesday, two protestors chained themselves to the front doors. The individuals were asked to leave, and after declining to do so, our Campus Public Safety Office responded. Portland Police also responded to support our officers. Arrests were made — seven in all, including three current students. I want to acknowledge that those involved in the evening's protest experienced physical force, and CPSO Chief Willie Halliburton was taken to the hospital after suffering a medical emergency.
This cannot continue, it is not a campus atmosphere that can sustain any of us at Portland State.
I continue to seek opportunities to engage with these protests in a way that is civil and brings about resolution for all of PSU. Since the occupation of Millar Library I have had several meetings with ASPSU, other student groups and community members with the aim of reaching an agreement regarding ASPSU’s demands in their resolution dated May 13. I continue to welcome the opportunity to sit down with any protest organizers to discuss demands.
We have made every effort to be transparent about PSU’s ties to Boeing: there are no direct investments and nothing to hide about the funding that we receive to support scholarships for minority STEM students.
I will continue to support protest events and vigorous debate on our campus. I will continue to support the challenging dialogue that is taking place in the Building Community Task Force and I look forward to sharing some of their work with the wider campus. The forum on Boeing ties has faced some planning challenges, but will be held on June 5, with details coming soon. I will continue to enforce rules that I believe keep this campus safe in the long run. And while I will take the slurs hurled at me daily, I do not condone hate speech toward others and will do everything I can to make this a safe space for students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds. I also hope, like millions of us around the world, for an end to the killing and pain in Gaza.
Sincerely,
Ann Cudd
PSU President