VIDEO: Portland State University Library Closes After Anti-Israel Protesters Trash Building

Oregon’s Portland State University (PSU) library has shut down after anti-Israel protesters occupied the building and damaged it.

Early Friday, PSU President Ann Cudd toured the library and, in a letter to the campus community, deemed it “not suitable for occupation,” KOIN reported, adding that Cudd said staffers are working to offer alternatives to students. The library is not projected to reopen for several months.

The news comes amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group.

The university endured “a great deal of stress” due to the situation, Cudd’s note said:

I also know there is still much hurt and anger surrounding the protests, the ongoing violence in Gaza and the disturbing scenes that have played out in our midst. I know many of you will continue to raise your voice in protest and I am in full support of your right to do so. At the same time I expect that protesters will not intimidate and harass students or other members of our community.

Journalist Andy Ngô reported Friday the protesters are Antifa and “far-left violent extremists” who said the four-day occupation “was for Gaza”:

Law enforcement officers in Portland cleared the protesters out of the library on Thursday morning, KGW News reported.

Video footage showed police officers outside the library where protesters had set up a soccer goal, plywood, and other items as barricades:

Additional video footage shows officers entering the library where they encountered barricades in hallways and stairwells. Protesters had also scrawled messages all over the walls.

Portland Police also reportedly found caches of tools, what were believed to be improvised weapons, and DIY armor:

When the protesters ran out of the building on Thursday, many were wearing bicycle helmets and masks and were carrying what appeared to be large pieces of garbage cans, which they used as shields.

“Stop! You’re under arrest! Stop!” a police officer is heard telling them. However, when one of the protesters tries to run past an officer, he grabs hold of the individual, and other officers get the person down on the ground:

In a message posted Thursday, the library detailed the damage incurred:

The Portland State University Library is more than the Millar building and our print collection. We have 49 library faculty and staff, and over 30 student workers. We provide integral services and access to vital resources that support the teaching, learning, and research activities for all of Portland State and the broader community. Our Special Collections and University Archives is home to rare books and manuscripts and hundreds of boxes of over one hundred years of university and unique community history that we steward in collaboration with our faculty, students and community partners.

The library building has suffered damage, not just to paint, walls, windows, doors, and offices, but also to the fire protection system, other important safety elements, and technology such as staff and lab computers and classroom projectors. We have not yet been able to confirm the condition of our books and archives. It’s going to take awhile to assess the damage and loss, clean up, and get the building safe for staff to enter. It is difficult to know at this time when we will be able to reopen to our community.

According to KPTV, Portland Police said officers made 30 arrests on Thursday.

However, only six of those were PSU students, the outlet noted:

To read more about anti-Israel protests on campuses across America, please click here.