Two arrested at student-organized pro-Palestinian protest that blocked city streets in Oregon

Protestors from two pro-Palestinian groups began a protest in Oregon that became disruptive, blocking roads and leading to the arrests of some participants.  

The University of Oregon’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Free Palestine Eugene launched a protest on Jan. 20 that saw between 100-200 participants take to the streets of downtown Eugene, Oregon, reported the student paper Daily Emerald.  

In an Instagram post advertising the event, UO SJP wrote: “Students, Community Members, Comrades, show up to rally support and solidarity. We encourage everyone to spread the word, tell your friends, bring in as much involvement as you can.”  

[RELATED: SJP groups at American universities release barrage of statements supporting Hamas terrorists]

The Eugene Police Department said that the groups did not reach out to city authorities to receive proper authorization for their protest: “Prior to the march, Eugene Police had attempted to contact organizers to help facilitate their right to march. But they were not receptive,” said a police official, according to the student paper. 

Salem Khoury, a leader at UO SJP, justified the failure to seek authorization for the protest by citing several factors, including his supposed need for anonymity to ensure his safety: “As a Palestinian it’s not ideal for me to have law enforcement and the city to have my name, my face and attach me to any future protest. We don’t know what’s gonna happen along the course of this, what counter-protests will arrive, what the cops will think, and the less they know, the better,” continued Daily Emerald.  

According to the Daily Emerald crowd members blocked several roads and verbally provoked the police nearby before surging through the police officers who attempted to block their path, an event that was followed by two arrests, before the march continued in front of the Oregon Hillel building.  

[RELATED: A history of Students for Justice in Palestine, the anti-Israel group behind recent campus controversy]

Campus Reform has consistently reported on SJP protests and actions in colleges and universities across the U.S., and, on Jan. 30, published a brief history of the organization and recent developments involving the group following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. 

On Jan. 29, Campus Reform exclusively reported on Rutgers University’s student government contributing more than $20,000 to the SJP chapter on campus in 2023.

Campus Reform has reached out to the University of Oregon’s SJP and Free Palestine Eugene for comment. The article will be updated accordingly.