More arrests from the occupation of a library at Portland State University are possible after people ran away from the building as officers were clearing it, Portland State Bureau Sgt. Kevin Allen said.
The library is still an active scene and authorities are investigating any crimes that were committed, he added.
Inside the building, officers found what appear to be improvised weapons, hollow bamboo sticks, buckets full of ball bearings, unspecified tools, paint balloons, spray bottles filled with ink with a note that said they were meant to be deployed at officers and cups of paint, Allen detailed. He said a soap or slick substance was on at least one floor of the building making it difficult for the officers to walk.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who also oversees the Portland Police Bureau, said those arrested will be prosecuted.
“Criminal destruction and violence is not protest, it is criminal activity, plainly and simply,” Wheeler said. “We will hold those accountable to the fullest extent of the law to the degree that we can.”
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt echoed that destructive behavior will not be tolerated.
“Things like spraying graffiti, breaking windows and setting fires, I condemn these criminal acts,” Schmidtsaid, adding that charging decisions will be made once evidence is collected and reviewed.
University President Ann Cudd said Thursday that the campus is closed and the buildings were locked down.
She reiterated that she tried to negotiate with students who remained in the library, and let them know that staying inside was considered trespassing.
She is still open to meeting with students and hearing their concerns, but those arrested will face consequences.
“This was a traumatic event for everyone in our campus community,” she said. “It is tragic that some of our students, along with others from outside, have so badly damaged our library and taken away that essential learning space.”
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