A Rogue Valley Peppershakers demonstrator rises from the audience Wednesday at U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden's town hall, shouting chants calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Gaza. 

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden’s town hall in Medford was cut short by pro-Palestinian demonstrators Wednesday, but the senator returned some 10 minutes later to field questions ranging from Project 2025 to his stances on the Middle East.

He dodged a local resident’s question about whether President Biden should drop out of the presidential race.

The senator spoke frankly following an unprecedented disruption from about a half-dozen demonstrators Wednesday afternoon, which nearly canceled Wyden’s 1,093rd town hall. Wyden described the cancellation as a first in his nearly 1,100 scheduled events. He said he would return to Jackson County when he’s able.

The demonstrators, claiming to be with the Rogue Valley Peppershakers, began shouting chants to interrupt Wyden’s town hall for Jackson County moments after the Democrat took the microphone Wednesday afternoon at Rogue X. They marched around the audience of roughly 100 people before stepping close to the podium.

“This interruption was a minor inconvenience for the people of Jackson County, but the real disruption is the thousands of Palestinian children and families who have been murdered and the entire neighborhoods decimated in Palestine by Israel,” the Rogue Valley Peppershakers stated in part in a press release emailed out following the event.

Medford police Chief Justin Ivens stood near the senator, but the heavy police presence in the building did not interfere with the demonstrators as they marched and chanted for several minutes. They dropped hot pink fliers highlighting the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s death toll of 38,713 Gazans and 576 in the West Bank.

“Let’s now respect everybody else’s First Amendment rights,” Wyden said. “I would like Jackson County to be heard.”

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” the demonstrators chanted.

The chants continued after Medford Mayor Randy Sparacino threatened to cancel the town hall.

Wyden retreated to another part of Rogue X, but ended up re-emerging roughly 10 minutes later after the demonstrators had left. By then, however, the crowd of more than 100 people had dwindled to roughly two dozen.

The small crowd’s questions and comments largely varied from national news to peace in the Middle East.

Jeanne Chouard, for instance, asked for Wyden’s thoughts on Project 2025, a sweeping proposal to increase the power of the presidency while dismantling other aspects of the federal government.

“It turns the clock backwards,” Wyden said.

Denise Krause, the Democrat candidate for Jackson County commissioner in November, asked Wyden about possible federal support for building a rail train in Southern Oregon to connect Ashland to Grants Pass.

Krause touched on how many people currently need to commute on Interstate 5 between the two areas. “We could take a lot cars off the road,” Krause said.

“Is there any federal funding available we could tap into?” Krause asked. “I mean, we need to do a feasibility study and we need to do a demand survey to see if the community really wants that.”

Another speaker identified himself to Wyden as a teacher, and voiced concern about “what happens in the classroom” should former President Donald Trump be elected again in November. He said he voted for Joe Biden in 2020 believing him to be a transformational candidate, and asked him where Wyden “stands on things.”

Wyden did not answer the question, touting a policy of “leaving politics out of town hall meetings.” He told the man he would speak more frankly later with him in the parking lot.

The senator was more direct in his response to the assassination attempt on Trump last weekend in Pennsylvania. 

“My agenda is First Amendment always and political violence never,” Wyden said.

Wyden fielded questions from at least three speakers concerned about the Gaza war and peace in the Middle East.

In the different exchanges, Wyden said that “what is going on in Gaza is an abomination.” 

“I consider myself a humanitarian first,” Wyden said. “It means we gotta find a way.” 

Responding to another questioner, the senator said he’s “very much” in favor of restoring U.S. United Nations relief funding to the Palestinians and said that “I am very much in favor of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.”

Wyden said that he welcomes people who disagree, and had the demonstrators stayed but let him continue, he would have recognized them.

“People who disagree, they will be recognized to be heard,” Wyden said. “We believe in free speech. I just wanted to apply it to everybody.”