Last spring, tension over the war in the Middle East reached a boiling point, and students at many universities across America set up tent encampments and protested what they perceived as their institutions’ role in the conflict. Schools responded in different ways — some quickly tore down the encampments while others, such as Northwestern University, negotiated with students to find a solution.  The presence of these encampments stirred a debate about free speech — and what universities should and should not permit on campuses — that continued in our section well after students went home for the summer.  Here is a look back in excerpts.  Feb. 5: Stephen J. Lyons, “Why can’t I criticize the war in Gaza without being called antisemitic?” Dozens of Chicago Jews, Palestinians and their supporters rally inside the Ogilvie Transportation Center on Nov. 13, 2023, and demand an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune) I have a question. Can I criticize Israel’s war in Gaza without being called antisemitic? Am I allowed to point out that so often the historically oppressed becomes the oppressor du jour? Will I be dismissed as a pearl-clutching peacenik when I point out that, in 2022, 99.7% of the staggering $3.3 billion in U.S. foreign aid we gift to Israel went directly to its military, and that since World War II, that tiny country with some 9 million people has received more U.S. foreign aid than any other nation? Who will be the next university president forced to resign or be fired because of a pro-Palestinian campus protest or because of a linguistic trap set by anti-intellectual members of Congress who demand fealty of all students and faculty in support of Israel’s aggressive bombing of Gaza? Are universities becoming islands of repression in a sea of democracy? May 1: Alex Shams, “Universities should defend students’ right to free speech, not aid their repression” When students see their tax dollars used to kill — more than 34,000 Palestinians at last count, not including thousands more buried under the rubble — they are right to question our government’s policies. But not only are universities silencing them. Congress is pushing administrators to go further, with a bipartisan consensus forming around punishing students who question pro-Israel policies. Biden and Congress have repeatedly linked campus protests to antisemitism. But not only is antisemitism firmly rejected by most activists, groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace can be found leading protests as part of diverse student coalitions. At Columbia, the Gaza solidarity camp hosted a Passover Seder, with Jewish students sharing the holiday’s liberation story with peers. Universities should be defending students’ right to question political consensus, not aiding their repression. And for free speech to thrive, students must be protected from harassment. Universities must provide that space — not with rhetoric but with action. May 3: Elizabeth Shackelford, “College protests almost always on the right side of history” Pro-Palestinian activists argue with pro-Israel activists while members of the Chicago Police Department stand between the two groups outside a pro-Palestinian encampment at DePaul University on May 5, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) For those who ask why students aren’t protesting Hamas, it’s because these institutions aren’t supporting or helping finance the terrorist group. Across the country, student groups are specifically targeting their colleges and universities, where they expect their influence will be greatest, calling on them to divest funds from corporations and businesses that support Israel’s military action. Specific calls to action vary, from divesting from any companies and institutions linked to Israel to any companies linked to arms manufacturing generally. This approach most closely echoes the protests against South Africa’s apartheid government, which are credited with pushing 155 universities to divest from companies that supported or profited from apartheid and the U.S. government to enact a divestment policy as well. But student demands today face more obstacles. Opposition to Israeli government action is far more polarizing than opposition to the South African apartheid regime was then. Political support for Israel within the U.S. system is so strong that it has secured laws in more than 30 states that prohibit state governments from doing business with companies that promote divestment from Israel. This could prove a real challenge for educational institutions even if they are open to protester demands. University administrators are already facing loud criticism from Republican political leaders in Washington who are calling on some to resign. Navigating the divide between free speech and hate speech is particularly fraught in light of the history of antisemitism in our country and beyond. May 9: Lily Cohen, “Why I resigned from Northwestern’s antisemitism committee” Northwestern University students rally in their pro-Palestinian encampment under a projected Star of David at Deering Meadow in Evanston on April 25, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) While intended to create an infrastructure for future conversations about Jewish and Zionist students’ experiences, the committees are so limited in the actions they are actually able to take that they are rendered useless. I no longer see Northwestern’s committee as paving an effective path forward — and instead have come to understand how completely performative these task forces are. The Northwestern committee is not unique in its ineffectiveness. Rabbi David Wolpe resigned from Harvard University’s committee in December because he was not confident that he would be able to make the difference he had hoped by remaining on it. By design, these committees are doomed to fail. While valuable in a campus environment to include a variety of identities and perspectives, Jewish voices are too often minimized as non-Jewish ideas about the experience of antisemitism are given equal weight. Our own committee even placed an emphasis “on ensuring the physical, emotional and psychological safety and well-being of Northwestern’s students.” However, as one of only two students present, I regularly felt emotionally and psychologically disregarded. My personal experiences were dismissed and my voice ignored in favor of scholarship, research and academic credentials. While I value using data-driven solutions and tapping into the vast educational resources available to us, it was belittling and dehumanizing to hear the Jewish student experience diluted to something that scholarship disagreed with — and therefore it was not addressed. May 10: Michael Schill, “Why I reached an agreement with protesters at Northwestern” Activists hug after Northwestern University officials announced that they reached an agreement with students and faculty protesting the Israel-Hamas war April 29, 2024, in Evanston. The deal came five days after demonstrators established an encampment in Deering Meadow, a popular common area on the Evanston campus. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) With the help of a handful of exceptional faculty members, we began meeting with student protesters. They asked for several changes to university policy including divestment from Israel and the end of an academic program that focused on Israeli innovation. We said a flat no to both. But we did say we understood their isolation and alienation and wanted to work with them to improve life at Northwestern for Muslim students and students from the Middle East and North Africa. That began three days and nights of difficult but productive discussions. Ultimately, we came to an agreement that they would take down the tent encampment and bring the demonstration into compliance with our rules and regulations. We would permit peaceful demonstrations on Deering Meadow for roughly a month and provide greater information to students about our investments. We also agreed to establish a house for Muslim and Middle Eastern students to eat, pray and socialize, something already enjoyed by our Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Black and female students. The university also committed to including Gaza in our Scholars at Risk program, which brings students and faculty members from war-torn or devastated areas to Northwestern, a program we employed with Ukraine amid the current war with Russia as well as Tulane University following Hurricane Katrina. May 19: Jay Tcath, “What DePaul revealed about its pro-Palestinian encampment should be a wakeup call” A Chicago police officer attempts to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters on the main quad of the DePaul University campus as an encampment is cleared May 16, 2024. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune) The weaponization and physical damage provide just a glimpse into the nature of many agitators who were there, how little they care about the community they inhabit, how hate-filled they are and the very real danger they posed to all — not just Jews. The protesters’ vitriol was directed at anyone trying to walk by — Jewish or not. The entire residential neighborhood was subjected to the “free speech” of this rabid takeover. Terrifying imagery, accompanied by screaming, masked disruptors, was on full display for families walking their children to the park and Chicagoans walking to work or simply going about their daily lives. For weeks, too many have dismissed the concerns that tent encampments on local campuses were dangerous hotbeds of antisemitism and hate. Too many believed the protesters and their defenders who said authorities sought to stifle their free speech. What has now been revealed by DePaul University should be a wakeup call for everyone.  June 23: Eli J. Finkel, “The failings of the Chicago Principles when it comes to free speech” Activists chant after being allowed into the quad after facing off against police after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)Activists face off with police after University of Chicago officers raided a pro-Palestinian encampment at the Hyde Park campus in the early-morning hours of May 7, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)The barriers are pulled away and activists are allowed into the quad after facing off against police after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)Workers remove a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Activists face off with police after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early on May 7, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Activists face off with police after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Activists face off with police after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Structures from a pro-Palestinian encampment are removed from the quad after the encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)Activists face off with police after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Activists face off with police after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)Activists face off with police after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Activists face off with police after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)Activists chant after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)A protester holds a sign after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)Police form a line to block access to the main quad after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Activists link arms and chant after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)A student enters the encampment on the University of Chicago campus on May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)Artwork depicting victims of the Israel-Hamas war is on display on the University of Chicago Main Quadrangle Friday, May 3, 2024, in Chicago. Demonstrators have created an encampment on the western end of the quadrangle to protest the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)Activists sleep in tents in a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago in the early hours of Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Two University of Chicago student demonstrators sit in their tent, illuminated by the light of a laptop screen, at the Main Quadrangle Friday, May 3, 2024, in Chicago. Demonstrators have created an encampment on the western end of the quadrangle to protest the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)Anton Ford speaks along with other members of University of Chicago Faculty for Justice for Palestine (FJP), a collective of over 130 faculty and academic staff, at a press conference in front of Edward H. Levi Hall on May 6, 2024. Faculty spoke on the need for universities across the U.S. to uphold principles of free expression, the role of police intervention in student actions, and the need for administrators, including those at the University of Chicago, to engage students in good-faith negotiation for demands on their institutions. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)Activists gather near a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago in the early hours of Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Protests continue at the UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) encampment on the main quad at the University of Chicago, Friday, May 3, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)Demonstrators encircle a Shabbat service with tarps and sheets to keep news media from viewing the service on the University of Chicago Main Quadrangle Friday, May 3, 2024, in Chicago. Demonstrators have created an encampment on the western end of the quadrangle to protest the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)Demonstrators break bread at the conclusion of a Shabbat service on the University of Chicago Main Quadrangle on May 3, 2024. Demonstrators have created an encampment on the western end of the quadrangle to protest the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)Students and activists gather at a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago, May 1, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Josie Hulme, 4, dances near a bubble machine near students and activists at a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago on May 1, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)A counterprotester waves an American flag on the Main Quadrangle near the pro-Palestine encampment at the University of Chicago on May 3, 2024. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)Pro-Palestine activists rally on the Main Quad at the University of Chicago, May 3, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)Pro-Palestine activists and counterprotesters face off near the encampment on the Main Quad at the University of Chicago, May 3, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)Pro-Palestine supporters rally on the Main Quad at the University of Chicago on May 3, 2024. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)Jewish students wear tefillin on the Main Quad at the University of Chicago near the pro-Palestine encampment on May 3, 2024. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)University of Chicago police watch from a short distance as students and community members gather at an encampment on campus on May 1, 2024, in support of Gaza and the Palestinian people. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)Chicago Public Schools students gather with other students and activists during a rally at a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago on May 1, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Chicago Public Schools students gather with other students and activists during a rally at a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago on May 1, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)University of Chicago students and community members gather at an encampment on campus on May 1, 2024, in support of Gaza and the Palestinian people. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)University of Chicago police briefly detain a person in a small disturbance about a sign near an encampment on campus, May 1, 2024 in support of Gaza and the Palestinian people. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)Chicago Public Schools students gather with other students and activists during a rally at a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago, May 1, 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Chicago Public Schools students gather with other students and activists during a rally at a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago, May 1, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)From right, Ellie Hulme, 12, and her sister Josie Hulme, 4, play catch by a bubble machine with a friend while students and activists gather at a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago on May 1, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Palestinian flags line the campus, May 1, 2024, at the University of Chicago. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)University of Chicago students and supporters hang a banner at an encampment on campus, May 1, 2024, in support of Gaza and the Palestinian people. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)University of Chicago students and community members gather at an encampment on campus, May 1, 2024, in support of Gaza and the Palestinian people. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)Supporters of Palestine are seen on the Main Quad at the University of Chicago as they continue to call for divestment from Israel by the university on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)A University of Chicago police officer is seen on the Main Quad at the university on Friday, May 3, 2024, as demonstrations in support of Palestine continue to call for divestment from Israel by the university. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)People are seen on the Main Quad of the University of Chicago on April 30, 2024, where there are signs of support for Palestine and calls for the university to divest from investments connected to Israel. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) launched an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)People are seen on the Main Quad of the University of Chicago on April 30, 2024, where there are signs of support for Palestine and calls for the university to divest from investments connected to Israel. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)Protestors create a privacy wall during prayer as UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) occupy an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) launched an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)Activists Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn look on as UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) occupy an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) launched an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) occupy an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)Protestors block the camera of an outside agitator as UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) launched an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)Protestors block the view of an outside agitator during prayer as UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) launched an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) occupy an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)Activist Frank Chapman addresses protesters during a rally after UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) launched an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) occupy an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) occupy an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) occupy an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)Protestors block the view of an outside agitator during prayer as UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) launched an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)Protesters embrace during a rally as UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) launched an encampment on the main quad of the University of Chicago on April 29, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)Show Caption1 of 62Activists chant after being allowed into the quad after facing off against police after a pro-Palestinian encampment was raided by officers at the University of Chicago early Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)Expand Recent protests at colleges and universities have exposed the fractured foundation of the prevailing framework for campus speech. When protesters form a human chain to prevent a student with opposing views from entering their “liberated zone,” is that a violation of campus speech policy? When they plant a large protest flag in the center of the main campus quad, is that protected speech? Why or why not? Such questions, which have nothing to do with the substance of the protest, beg more fundamental questions: What is the primary purpose of free speech at a university? What role should universities play in the broader free-speech ecosystem? The prevailing framework for campus speech — exemplified by the Chicago Principles and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) — isn’t equipped to answer such questions, largely because it fails to appreciate that freedom of speech is not one right, but two. First, the right to unbridled speech addresses what people are permitted to say when holding the microphone (literally or figuratively); it captures the license to speak one’s mind candidly, even when doing so is likely to offend others. Second, the right to inclusive speech addresses who is able and willing to hold the microphone in the first place; it captures the equal opportunity to contribute to public discourse. Although both unbridled and inclusive speech are essential for achieving a robust public discourse, it’s impossible to maximize both at once because certain forms of unbridled speech, including slurs, render the public sphere less inclusive. Consequently, universities that fully appreciate only the first of these two freedoms undermine the very goal they seek to promote. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected].