As the new academic year begins at Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student and key figure in last semester's pro-Palestinian protests, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that "the limit is the sky," when it comes to making their voices heard.

Students and faculty are preparing for renewed demonstrations, following the intense protests last spring that sparked nationwide college demonstrations.

Columbia is still recovering from the spring's upheaval, which included encampments and a takeover of Hamilton Hall. Over 40 students were charged after the incident, but many have had those charges dropped. Most of those arrested following the demonstrations will be allowed to return to campus this fall, according to documents received by the congressional Committee on Education and the Workforce, which subpoenaed school officials on Aug. 21 as part of an ongoing antisemitism investigation.

Small protests and barricades have since cropped up around Columbia's Barnard College in recent weeks, with reports of drones and a police presence. A history professor also shared photos of fenced-off green space on campus, "presumably to stop future encampments."

On Tuesday, dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside one the school's entrances while students and staff made their way through a security checkpoint, according to the AP.

"As long as Columbia continues to invest and to benefit from Israeli apartheid, the students will continue to resist," Khalil said. "Not only protests and encampments, the limit is the sky."

Students on both sides are exploring new ways to express their viewpoints.

Hundreds of Jewish and pro-Israel students gathered in Washington, D.C., last month for a leadership summit aimed at strategizing for the upcoming year, according to Fox News Digital. The summit, hosted by the Israel on Campus Coalition, focused on rallying students against rising antisemitism and bolstering pro-Israel activism.

Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian activists are gearing up for more protests. Despite over 2,000 arrests across the country last year, they are planning to intensify their efforts to push their institutions to divest from Israel, among other demands. Protesters are also strategizing new ways to raise awareness and apply pressure, despite more universities adopting stricter protesting policies surrounding demonstrations.

"We've been working all this summer on our plans, on what's next to pressure Columbia to listen to the students and to decide to be on the right side of history," Khalil told The Hill in August.

Tensions have remained high at the Ivy League institution throughout the summer. Chief Operations Officer Cas Holloway had his Brooklyn residence vandalized by protesters, three university deans resigned after "antisemitic" text exchanges were revealed, and Columbia's President Minouche Shafik resigned following her controversial handling of student protests last semester.

A recent report from the school's task force on antisemitism also stated that "the testimonies of hundreds of Jewish and Israeli students have made clear that the University community has not treated them with the standards of civility, respect, and fairness it promises to all its students."

The group recommended anti-bias and inclusion training for students, resident advisers, resident assistants, teaching assistants, student-facing staff, and faculty, among other measures.

University officials are considering giving campus police broader authority to arrest protesters, though it's unclear if or when those policies will be put in place.

Tags Columbia University, Israel, Protest, Campus, College