Portland State students forced to foot part of $1.2 million bill after anti-Israel protesters trash library

More than four months after a group of pro-Palestinian protesters broke into the Millar Library on the Portland State University campus, causing extensive damage, the library has reopened its doors. 

The occupation, which took place from April 29 to May 2, resulted in over $1.2 million in damages, KGW reported.

”It was impossible to imagine how long it would take to repair the library because it was in such disrepair,” said Cris Paschild, associate dean of the PSU library and head of special collections and archives. 

KOIN reported that though insurance will cover most of the damage, the university students and the State of Oregon will need to foot a bill of around $100,000.

During the occupation, protesters vandalized the library, breaking windows, ripping out fire extinguishers, and spray-painting graffiti on the walls.

Portland police eventually intervened, arresting 30 individuals, including six PSU students. 

Following the end of the occupation, the Fire Marshal had to declare the building unsafe for occupancy, KOIN reported.

[RELATED: ‘F*** UNC’: Activists deface buildings, including ROTC, at UNC campus]

After extensive repairs and renovations, the library reopened on September 16.

According to PSU, the funds allocated for repairs were used for various projects, including repainting, replacing damaged technology and furniture, and restoring the fire systems that were compromised during the occupation.

”We had to replace all the computers, clean the tables, and replace carpet tile,” said Michael Bowman, current associate dean of the library. 

In total, repairs took 23 different contractors, and 985 hours of work before the library could be reopened.

While the library has been cleaned up, there are still remnants of the vandalism, such as leftover spray paint deep in the grooves of wooden bookshelves.

[RELATED: Anti-Israel activists kick off new school year vandalizing Cornell buildings]

Despite the challenges, the library staff is relieved to have the library open again for students and staff. 

”When the library reopened, there was a line of nearly a dozen students waiting to get inside,” Paschild said. “It kind of makes me feel like crying and with a great sense of relief.”

Several of the cases against the arrested protesters are still pending in the court system.

Campus Reform has contacted Portland State University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.