Five individuals were arrested on Portland State University's campus on Monday evening during protests against conservative speaker Riley Gaines. The demonstration, held outside the Smith Memorial Student Union building, called for Portland State University to reject anti-trans rhetoric linked to the speaker. According to KPTV, Portland State University police requested assistance from the Portland Police Bureau around 7 p.m. to manage the crowd.
Despite the altercation at the doors, most of the protest remained peaceful. Finn Cunningham from Students for a Democratic Society spoke to KOMO News, "Our main goal for today is to demand that PSU stands against the anti-trans rhetoric that this organization and this specific speaker speaks about, as well as defending our transgender community and transgender peers." The protest began after Gaines was seen as promoting anti-trans ideologies, especially regarding women's sports.
During the demonstration, a group in the crowd tried to enter the student union, causing property damage. Police arrested five people on charges including criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, and harassment. On Tuesday morning, four window panels were found vandalized, as mentioned by KGW.
The protest, which remained mostly peaceful, focused on the ongoing debate over the participation of transgender individuals in sports. A small number of arrests were made, but the majority of the participants demonstrated without incident. When asked about his message to Gaines, Cunningham told KOMO News, "I basically want to say that you are against women. You are an active anti-trans spewing rhetoric against people that have done nothing to you other than simply want to be equal with you."
