PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Editor's note: The last names of the students involved have been removed from this story due to threats.
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After three days of school closures at Portland State University because of pro-Palestine protesters occupying the school's library, class is in session again, and Jewish students opened up about how they’re feeling about coming back to school.
“I'm scared. I'm nervous. I don't know what people are gonna say,” said PSU student Amaya.
"I even took off my Star of David,” said PSU student Hannah.
I do not feel safe around my peers, because the campus has created an environment where I do not know who I can trust,” Amaya added.Amaya is not alone. KATU has previously spoken to other Jewish students who were scared to talk with reporters on camera.
However, when asked why they decided to speak to us on television, these two said they felt like they had to.
I don't agree anymore with being silent, because it's just affecting my friends too here,” said Hannah.“If I don't speak out, nobody is going to,” said Amaya.
Some of the protesters' chants, Amaya said, included slogans that allegedly promoted Israeli erasure -- like “From the River to the Sea" -- which were painful for her to hear.
Everybody has the right to protest, and everybody has a right to free speech, but there's a difference between free speech and antisemitic speech and hate speech," she said. "I feel like there was [sic] no guidelines about conversations and the right words to use when protesting.Hannah says what deepened that pain was the apparent lack of empathy for those in Israel impacted by Hamas's attack on Oct. 7, when more than 1,200 Israelis were killed, and more than 250 were taken hostage.
“There are still people who lost loved ones. So, for people to say, which I've heard before, life has, 'returned to normal in Israel.' That's not true for those families and friends that lost a loved one,” said Hannah.
The Hamas-controlled health ministry has reported over 34,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel's military operations in Gaza in the last seven months.
Both Hannah and Amaya say they feel for those who have died in Gaza, but they still feel that the messaging of the protest promoted Israeli erasure.
KATU also spoke to a Palestinian student from Portland Community College, who came to PSU to see the damage to the library.
There's a whole genocide going on across the world, and I feel like over here. We need to speak up and let people know what's going on,” said Mohammad Harb. “But there's limits to everything, you know. We can speak our mind all we want, but we can't hurt property. We can't hurt people.KATU reached out to the university after hours with the Jewish students' concerns about returning to campus, and did not get a response. Earlier in the week, university officials said that they condemn antisemitism, and anti-Arab sentiment, and have been working to create safe spaces for both communities of students.
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