Protesters and police have been locking horns at college campuses across the nation, with the University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University making headlines for the stark contrast in their handling of pro-Palestine demonstrations. As student outcry swells over the Israel-Hamas conflict, more than 1,000 arrests have been made, signaling a major clash between the demands for institutional divestment and the right to free speech. The situation escalated at UT Austin, where 40 individuals faced charges following a confrontation with law enforcement, as reported by FOX San Antonio.

Meanwhile, Texas State students staged their solidarity with Palestine without a similar backlash. "We have empathy for these people, we care about these people and we want them to live," Texas State student, Isys Nieves, told FOX San Antonio. Despite the rising tension, the administration has not implemented the aggressive tactics seen at other institutions, prompting students to express relief at being able to express their First Amendment right without fear of arrest.

Students at UT Austin, however, were subject to a more stringent response. "I literally have 7 friends who were put in jail last Wednesday, I have 3 friends who got pepper sprayed today and all of us are fairly educated, fairly peaceful kids-- it was a little insane," UT student, Sal Hussain said in a statement obtained by FOX San Antonio.

Columbia University also found itself in the spotlight, starting to hand out suspensions to students who failed to comply with a deadline to disband their encampments, according to an AP News article. Amidst the academic unrest, some Jewish students have raised concerns about antisemitism and their safety on campus. Protests have also spread to prestigious European and Canadian institutions, underlining the global reach of the discourse surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. These complex events have forced universities to balance the line between upholding principles of free speech and managing their operational and community obligations.

"What matters to [the students], does not matter to [President Hartzell] clearly but with [TXST] President Damphousse it's different because what matters to us matters to him because we're all one big family." Texas State student, Cedrik Oolibares, said according to a FOX San Antonio interview.