While pro-Palestinian campus protests across the nation veer into bouts of violence and arrests, Chicago’s universities stand as bastions of peace and dialogue. Sources from two local papers, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune have brought this contrast to light, as New York officers were seen clashing with Columbia University protesters and over 300 arrests were reported, while incidents at the University of California, Los Angeles prompted the cancellation of classes after violent confrontations.

Despite the storming of Columbia University buildings by law enforcement and UCLA's disturbed peace, Chicago campuses, notably the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, uphold a quieter front. At Northwestern, dialogue with the administration resulted in an agreement that allows protests to carry on without major interruptions to academic life. "We’re hoping to just grow and expand and create … a space that is as safe as it can be. Because safety is never guaranteed," an organizer named Rayna A., who withheld her last name for safety reasons, told the Chicago Sun-Times. However, with a hint of concern that could potentially disrupt classes, students like Andrew Basta at the University of Chicago prepared for possible police intervention.

Peaceful to this point, the spectacle of officers dipping in and out of the University of Chicago's encampment hasn’t escalated to the extent of battles seen elsewhere. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, echoing a sentiment of restraint, stated that as long as protests remain peaceful, law enforcement won’t engage in a manner that will "inflame what it is they’re trying to do," as quoted by the Chicago Tribune. Speaking to the Sun-Times, Superintendent Snelling said, "We’re out there to make sure that people who want to protest can do it and exercise their First Amendment." The protesters, while vigilant, find some solace in Snelling's words and the relatively hands-off approach thus far taken by the university administration and the police.

Thus contrasts the Chicago scenes with the nation-wide crackdowns. Colleges including Columbia University and UCLA saw rows of handcuffed protesters and chaotic confrontations, pulling down the barricades surrounding encampments by pro-Israel demonstrators at UCLA. A senior program officer named Zachary Greenberg with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression inferred to the Chicago Tribune that policies and culture supportive of free speech at institutions like DePaul University and the U. of C. may be the reason behind less violence and disruption. He mentioned, "Police officers tend to escalate conflicts and potentially use violence or use force to enforce the rules, and that could really chill students from expressing themselves and from speaking out." All of this sows concern among students who yearn to exercise their right to protest without fear of violence.

As the Chicago campuses continue their demonstrations, they provide a blueprint for non-violent activism, a hope expressed by Northwestern law professor Sheila Bedi in hopes other universities will take note and refrain from involving law enforcement to potential brutal extents. Back in U. of C., a reminder of the undercurrent fear, Andrew Basta notes to the Chicago Tribune that "There’s also been various times where they (police officers) refuse to act — there have been people trying to catch (on camera) the faces of Muslims engaged in prayer and they have done nothing about it." Highlighting the layered complexities that these protests involve, it’s not just about the cause, but about safeguarding the very essence of what it means to be heard in America.