Now, universities are trying to figure out the best way to address the protests while also protecting the types of speech of which they approve. It appears that at least some of these schools are adopting variations of the carrot-and-stick approach.

Colleges are trying everything from negotiation to mass arrests to deal with the crop of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have sprung up on their grounds, but experts say they have to take a good look at campus culture if they really want to deal with the situation in the long term.[...]

Education advocates say schools need to be open to conversation with their students but firm on their rules.

“Campus protests are a sacred tradition in the United States for free expression and for students to get involved civically, so it’s really important for administrators to respect that when they are proceeding,” said Roni Brunn, a leading member of the Harvard Jewish Alumni Association. “At the same time, universities do have codes of conduct, and the process needs to happen within the parameters of the codes of conduct.”

Columbia originally told protesters they had until midnight Tuesday to disperse before the school would have to take extraordinary measures to remove them, a warning that came after more than 100 were arrested last week.

After the demonstrators agreed to conditions such as taking down some of their tents, ensuring only those affiliated with the school were protesting and avoiding the use of discriminatory language, Columbia extended the deadline for getting rid of the encampment by 48 hours.

The administrations of these schools believe that many of those causing the unrest are non-students. This could be true. Leftist agitators are known for coming into various progressive movements to stir up trouble and engage in violence. It occurred during the George Floyd riots years ago. In fact, we could easily see this at Princeton University, where students are already planning a pro-Hamas protest encampment on campus.

Read more: Princeton Prepares to Join the Pro-Hamas Movement With Another Anti-Israel Encampment

However, this is where it becomes important for each university to strike the right balance between the carrot and the stick. When possible, they can negotiate with some of these folks and even try to go after outsiders who come to their schools to cause trouble.

However, if they are not serious about using the stick when necessary, no amount of negotiating will make a difference. Over the past week, law enforcement has arrested several activists involved in the protests at Yale and Columbia universities. The bottom line is that those seeking to cause unrest need to know they will face harsh punishments if they continue their antics.

Read: Chaos at Yale: Police Arrest Dozens at Explosive Pro-Hamas Protest

Columbia Campus Chaos: Pro-Hamas Protests Turn Violent Resulting in Multiple Arrests

The solution seems simple: Have dialogue with those who want to protest peacefully while laying down the law on those who want to engage in violence and the blocking of streets. Moreover, universities need clear policies on what type of speech they will allow. If they don’t want to allow bigoted speech against the Jewish people, then they need to make sure they are enforcing it for all groups instead of being selective about it. If they fail to address the problem, it will only become much worse, and the violence could produce tragic outcomes.

Related: WATCH: Texas DPS Shows Up at a Pro-Hamas 'Encampment,' and Beautiful Chaos Follows