Portland State students threaten lawsuit after allegedly sustaining bruises during arrests during Gaza protest

Two students at Portland State University involved in the violent May 23 anti-Israel riot threatened a lawsuit against the city on Friday, claiming PSU campus public safety officers used unlawful force against them.

The students are demanding the city give them $7,000 of taxpayer funds to cover medical costs. Their lawyer, Michael Fuller, a civil rights attorney, said his clients obtained bruises and scrapes consistent with being pushed down, KATU reported.

On that day, police were called to respond to an unruly anti-Israel riot on campus in which students and outside agitators, including members of Antifa, chained themselves to doors and blocked Campus Police Chief Halliburton from receiving medical care after he suffered a heart attack during the incident.

Portland Police Chief Bob Day said officers were called in to assist campus police with the demonstration, and as they made arrests "the crowd became extraordinarily hostile and surrounded the officers. As PSU officers tried to transport arrested persons away, the crowd blocked the garage exit. One officer was spit in the face, and at least 2 others were punched."

"Equally concerning, officers notified the group that a medical emergency was underway. But they refused to move, and officers had to forcibly push their way out to ensure that medical care could be brought in," said Day.

Fuller rebuked Chief Day's statement and said Chief Halliburton was "engaging in pushing and using physical force against protesters long before any medical emergency."

When asked by KATU if he thought it might be possible that Chief Halliburton was already suffering from a medical issue during that period of time, Fuller responded, "He could have been, but he didn't show any signs of it the way he was stepping into the crowd and pushing people and regulating."

"We want to give the city a chance to do the right thing for the student who had the medical bills. We're asking for $4,500 in compensation and for the student who had injuries but didn't seed to see a doctor, we're asking for $2,500," said Fuller.