The clashes between police officers and pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses have seized national attention, putting a spotlight on modern-day campus activism, law enforcement tactics and the contentious debate over Israel’s war in Gaza. In the last three weeks, more than 2,000 people have been arrested across the U.S., according to a tally compiled by NBC News.

The arrests of protesters at Columbia University and UCLA have drawn particular scrutiny in recent days, but political demonstrations and heated confrontations have also roiled dozens of other campuses across the U.S., from state schools in the South and the Midwest to Ivy League institutions in the Northeast.

The sheer number of arrests helps illustrate how quickly pro-Palestinian encampments and the police responses turned into chaotic flashpoints, dividing campuses and their surrounding communities. Meanwhile, Jewish and Muslim students alike have raised concerns about a sharp uptick in antisemitism and Islamophobia since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.