Farmer’s market, ‘Powwow for Palestine’ held on PSU campus days after protest

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - After protests shut down Portland State University for nearly a week, campus life was beginning to go back to normal on Saturday as the campus hosted Portland’s downtown farmer’s market and then a student-led powwow.

Earlier in the week, PSU’s campus was the scene of pro-Palestinian rallies that caused chaos when a group of protestors broke into the university’s main library and refused to leave. After days of canceled classes, Portland police said they made 30 arrests Thursday, and students returned to the classrooms.

Cleanup was still underway on Saturday, so the market was held in a different location - a block away from the library. However, vendors say it was an otherwise normal and successful morning.

Daniela Morales works at the market for Three Sisters Nixtamal.

“We’re just doing our best today with being rearranged,” Morales said. “People are still coming by, people are still supporting, we’re here so we’re happy about that.”

An hour after the vendors had gone, a few dozen people returned to the green for a “Powwow for Palestine.”

Organizers said the university’s annual Naimuma Powwow, which has celebrated indigenous culture on campus for 51 years, was postponed by PSU due to the protests. They said it was important to them to still come out to spread joy and to continue to support the pro-Palestinian movement peacefully.

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