Recent weeks have seen an upsurge of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at universities in every corner of the world. From the United Kingdom to the USA, from Lebanon to India, a lot of countries can be seen with major protests in their universities. 

These protests, which are due to the conflict going on in Gaza, give a platform to students, professors, and activists in the number of thousands who want the universities to cut off business with the companies that support Israel's acts in Gaza. Let's shed some light on where these protests are taking place and what they comprise.

 United States: Cornerstone of the Events

 In the United States alone, more than 2000 arrests have been made at more than 100 universities which is a result of students choosing to protest and sit in dormitories. The confrontations between the police and famous universities like Columbia, Portugal State, and UCLA have been the most reported ones. More often than not these protesters will submit the list of demands to universities so that they get rid of companies tied with the Israeli military in Gaza.

 Australia: Camps and Controversy

 Under the hood in Australia down, internal university student politics are divided into groups of both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli ones. The University of Queensland and the University of Sydney are some of the cases where camping is conducted and public spaces are taken up by the tents. These camps are symbols of the burning affection of the university with the Palestinian issues, despite the negative criticisms and the claims of the increased campus tensions.

 United Kingdom: Persistent Protests

 In various parts of the UK, universities such as Newcastle University have been the home for the sprouting of pro-Palestinian encampments. The protests remain nonviolent so far, directed at advocating for financial withdrawal from Israeli businesses and encouraging schools to sever their ties with military companies that supply arsenals to Israel.

 France: Clashes and Clearances

 In France, with major institutions like Sciences Po and the Sorbonne and the Sorbonne Universities of Paris at their center, student-based movements thrive. French authorities proved to be particularly prone to interference, especially in the case of the Sorbonne, (forcibly) removing the protesters from the tents and reclaiming sitting-in places. This caused even more angry calls for peaceful solutions.

India: Symbolic Solidarity

 In Jawaharlal Nehru University which is regarded as a prestigious university in New Delhi, the protest aligns themselves with the protestors at Columbia, highlighting that there is a global tie in these protests. This shows the way the demonstrations often criticize the Israeli government's stance on India and urge the Indian government to give broader support for the Palestinian cause.

 Canada: Coast-to-Coast Protests

 These recent developments have not gone unnoticed by Canadian post-secondary institutions Manon Reston at McGill University Monica Mark at the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia Similar to the campaigns conducted by those around the world, they emphasized non-alignment with and taking actions against firms directly linked to Israeli security apparatus.

 Lebanon: Vocal and Vigorous

 The country has witnessed several vehement protests, with students at the American University of Beirut catapulting the revolting movement. These protests have a high symbolic value, especially because Lebanon is Israel's neighbor and therefore the history that brought the two countries into conflict.

 What Are the Forces that Led to the Protests?

 These widespread protests are driven by a few common themes:

 - Humanitarian Concerns: The protesters who have laid these difficult times in the freezing winter in squares and the streets of Europe to inform the European public about the hard consequences of the crisis in Gaza.

 - Academic Influence: Part of the trend involves universities deciding to get proactive by divesting from businesses that are connected to and derived from this conflict.

 - Global Solidarity: It is especially striking that worldwide solidarity, brings students, from various continents, cultures, and environments, under one umbrella to support the Palestinian cause.

Evaluating the Effect of University Protests

 The effect of the university protests goes beyond the scope of the indicated. Participating institutions are posed to revise their services and ethics as financially and socially. On the political front, they highlight acute global issues that often sway public opinion and shape policy as well. On the one hand, media could create a societal unison out of the whole campus community by the process of meaningful conversation, which at the same time, could spark fights and conflicts that are prevalent at the campus.

 Future Outlook: Keeping the momentum and the dialogue

 Overall, maintaining the backward pressure of these protests sustains what has taken place until now. This entails contributions to these activities in the form of educational events, workshops, and working with advocacy groups from around the world. Similarly, encouraging free speech among various campus groups will allow them to problem-solve, avert disagreements and misinterpretations, and hence instill education among the viewers.