Students and faculty at Portland State University opened

Wednesday in the

movement with a campus rally and downtown march, resulting in a brief scuffle with police across from City Hall in which one man was arrested.

"The whole world is watching!" the demonstration of about 500 people chanted when more than four dozen Portland police officers blocked the march's progress at a Southwest Madison Street and Fifth Avenue crosswalk.

Later, when protesters concluded their street action with an assembly in

, a PSU graduate unable to find a job stood before the group and set his degree on fire.

The PSU march came as the Occupy movement regroups locally and nationwide. Occupy organizations are calling for

today at local bank branches.

N17 protest Thursday

What: Occupy Portland protesters and their supporters plan a morning rush hour demonstration today at the Steel Bridge. The action is part of the national N17 movement, in which demonstrators across the United States today plan to occupy banks and financial institutions.

Details: The group plans to convene at 8 a.m. at the east end of the Steel Bridge, then cross the Burnside Bridge into downtown. Organizers say they will hold a 10 a.m. rally at Waterfront Park. A march and “mass mobilization” on banks and businesses is planned for 11 a.m., though organizers haven’t said where.

Possible disruption: Police say they anticipate traffic congestion and possibly civil disobedience. Banks said Wednesday they are taking security precautions. A Bank of America spokeswoman said managers might close branches. Wells Fargo said it will add extra security guards in some downtown locations.

Accompanied by dozens of protesters who had lived in the

encampment in Chapman and Lownsdale squares, PSU students and faculty poured from classes at noon and met in a steady drizzled in the South Park Blocks in front of Smith Memorial Student Union.

Speakers criticized cutbacks in the state's financing of higher education that has led to a

for undergraduates this year. They complained that a college education now requires thousands of dollars in loans, and graduates enter an anemic job market loaded with debt.

"This is indicative of all the issues that Occupy Wall Street has brought out," said

, an associate professor of sociology, who spoke at the Smith Memorial Union rally.

A steady drizzle fell on the rally, the downtown march and the formation of Occupy PSU's general assembly, the consensus-building decision-making body of the movement.

The march went to the Congress Center at Southwest Salmon Street and Fifth, the building that houses the

. Demonstrators said they are worried they will end up in that court.

, an assistant professor of religious studies at PSU, told the marchers it is unfair that student loans cannot be forgiven in bankruptcy as business or gambling debt can be.

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After 20 minutes of speeches, the march headed back to campus, but it stopped just north of City Hall on Fifth, where police on foot lined up shoulder to shoulder to steer the demonstration east on Madison. The protesters pushed, and for about 10 minutes, the situation grew tense.

Police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson said a few demonstrators disobeyed police orders to stay on the sidewalk. One man "made himself the focal point of attention," and police zip-tied his hands behind him and carried him away.

Police charged John Saunders, 32, with harassment and interfering with a police officer.

Marchers took the direction to move east on Madison then turned south to go to PSU's Urban Plaza and the general assembly.

There, Bao Vuong, 24, who moved to the United States as a child, stood up in front of the crowd and said he had earned a PSU degree with $30,000 in student debt but now can't find a job.

"What am I supposed to do?" he said. "How am I supposed to pay for my loans?"

Then he flicked a lighter and burned his sheepskin. The crowd cheered.

Ray Whitehouse of The Oregonian staff contributed to this story.





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