No police action to remove the protesters who first broke into the building Monday night and some two days in, we got a look at some of the damage from a source inside the library, shattered windows, damaged equipment, piled up furniture and lots and lots of graffiti. PS US president saying 50 or so students did choose to leave the library peacefully overnight. After some negotiating with the university today, we also witnessed some fighting with a group dressed all in black shoving a man off the steps of the library. And then late tonight, some broke off from a protest march of roughly 100 or so people around downtown to smash and tag the windows of local businesses amidst all of this. The campus has remained closed though tonight. P SS U tells us they plan to reopen and resume in person classes tomorrow. So let's get right to live team coverage at Portland State. We have Catherine cook on what's still looking like a stalemate some 48 hours in. But first to Alma mccarty with a look at those demonstrators that took the streets of downtown, including a few who it appears use this all as an excuse to destroy property. And Alma, I understand you just got some new information from police David. Correct from Portland police. They have taken some reports. They tell us of some damage of some vandalism that was downtown in our investigating these crimes. However, there have been no arrests made at this time. Now, as you can tell, I am live on the Portland State University campus with the library here behind me where a lot of the activity over the last several days has been concentrated. Now the march through downtown happened or started. I should say a little north of here still in the south part blocks before the demonstrators. The pro Palestinian demonstrators headed towards the waterfront chanting as they went. Now we had one KGW crew who witnessed the group marching down Market Street with Palestinian flags and signs calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and a free Palestine. Overall, the majority of people marching were still peaceful and did not cause harm to any. However, as you mentioned, small groups broke off from the main one causing some damage and some vandalism video shows some smashing windows at the Starbucks at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Our crew also witnessed people throwing tables and chairs there. The damage here was superficial for the most part since the store has double paned windows. Now we also saw graffiti on surrounding businesses and on that Starbucks reading free Gaza and May Day an ATM at that location was also busted up now. Portland police said investigators from the central precinct took reports of damage and received at least one report of an explosion. However, as I mentioned, no arrests have been made at this time though they said that does not mean arrests will not happen later. District Attorney Mike Schmidt also released a statement following today's demonstration and in it, he said that destruction will not be tolerated and that quote, damaging property making threats and perpetrating violence are not acceptable, meaningful or productive ways to make a point. He also ended by saying that his office stands ready to prosecute cases related to these activities. Now, the March itself only lasted about an hour or so with most of the people returning here to the state campus where tonight several um I would say maybe more than 200 folks remain outside of the building this evening. Back to you, David. Yeah, watching and waiting all. Appreciate your reporting there. Let's bring in Catherine Cook. Now, Catherine the big question tonight, if and when the Portland police plan to take action to either arrest the holdouts that are still inside the library or maybe force them to leave and it's unclear what their next move will be. We haven't seen any police activity out here in several hours. Police calling this a very fluid situation if I step out of the way and you can zoom in and see there are still several people standing outside the building at this late those remaining in the building library today were warned once again to leave in a message to campus. University President Anne Cudd said anyone still in the library is committing criminal trespass and must leave immediately. She said PSU is cooperating with law enforcement on that matter. Around five o'clock tonight, a small group from Portland police enter the library. We're told, they warned those inside to leave and then they left. The Police Bureau hasn't said much about any plans to clear the library this afternoon. They shared that they're quote, actively collaborating with PSU and that a lot of work is being done in the background to find a resolution. They also noted that time is a key deescalating tactic. They said if they can delay police action to a time when conditions are safer, they will. Now it's not clear who is responsible for the bulk of the damage inside the library. But it appears a group at PSU now includes others who weren't there when it started. And we talked with sociologist Randy Blaze tonight. He was actually a professor at PSU for 20 years. Blas says in Portland protest groups are often joined by others who see it as an opportunity to further a larger or different activist agenda. They can hijack it for lack of a better word. They can kind of push the student voice out of it. And it's a real challenge when you have a campus movement to keep it a campus movement and not have it be co opted by outside uh activists. Sometimes those are the exact same people but sometimes the student voice gets lost in that back live at PSU tonight. Once again, the university will reopen tomorrow with classes resuming university officials tell us students who don't feel comfortable coming to campus in person are asked to reach out to their instructors. David back to you, Catherine Cook on the Portland State campus this evening, Catherine. Thank you. Stay safe out there.
