US Universities Under Siege: How Fusion Centers Fuel Campus Surveillance of Pro-Palestine Activists
The National Counterterrorism Center, a fusion center network established in the wake of 9/11 to facilitate information-sharing between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, has been used to target pro-Palestinian student activists at universities across America. Documents obtained via public records requests reveal that these fusion centers played a key role in monitoring and suppressing peaceful demonstrations on at least five campuses nationwide.
According to investigative findings by The Intercept, the fusion center's tip-off of an upcoming protest at Ohio State University led to swift actions by university officials, including the police department's decision to assemble an operations plan to shut down the event. On April 25, 2024, OSU was blanketed with a warning from the network about an anticipated protest.
"We are aware of a demonstration that is planned to take place at Ohio State University this evening (4/25/2024) at 1700 hours," the alert read. The hub had reportedly received information from local intelligence networks indicating that similar events would occur on other campuses across the state in the coming days.
In reality, several universities used these fusion centers for surveillance purposes, raising concerns about civil liberties and freedom of speech. According to documents obtained by researchers, Clemson University Police Department participated in a risk analysis program linked with its South Carolina Information and Intelligence Center (SCIIC), another fusion center, which shared information and coordinated intelligence on social movements.
A study revealed that California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, was also involved with law enforcement agencies. The president of the university stated that partnerships with local fusion centers allowed them to gather support for investigative measures against students who supported pro-Palestinian causes.
Despite numerous claims of civil rights abuses and concerns over the misuse of these networks, universities have shown little willingness to curb their ties to fusion centers. In a recent interview, an official from Ohio State said "We do not discuss our security protocols in detail." Similarly, representatives from STACC remained silent when contacted for comment by The Intercept.
The proliferation of fusion centers has contributed to a broader and more intricate mass surveillance system. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation's associate director Rory Mir, this trend is linked to increased reliance on artificial intelligence assessments and data sharing among agencies.
The use of these networks raises critical questions about civil rights protection in American campuses, where students have faced significant repression for their peaceful demonstrations. Researchers warn that universities must be more mindful of their relationships with local law enforcement agencies and national surveillance programs.
In recent years, the Trump administration has been accused of utilizing federal law enforcement agencies to crack down on pro-Palestinian protesters, but documents show that this trend began under the Biden administration as well.
The National Counterterrorism Center, a fusion center network established in the wake of 9/11 to facilitate information-sharing between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, has been used to target pro-Palestinian student activists at universities across America. Documents obtained via public records requests reveal that these fusion centers played a key role in monitoring and suppressing peaceful demonstrations on at least five campuses nationwide.
According to investigative findings by The Intercept, the fusion center's tip-off of an upcoming protest at Ohio State University led to swift actions by university officials, including the police department's decision to assemble an operations plan to shut down the event. On April 25, 2024, OSU was blanketed with a warning from the network about an anticipated protest.
"We are aware of a demonstration that is planned to take place at Ohio State University this evening (4/25/2024) at 1700 hours," the alert read. The hub had reportedly received information from local intelligence networks indicating that similar events would occur on other campuses across the state in the coming days.
In reality, several universities used these fusion centers for surveillance purposes, raising concerns about civil liberties and freedom of speech. According to documents obtained by researchers, Clemson University Police Department participated in a risk analysis program linked with its South Carolina Information and Intelligence Center (SCIIC), another fusion center, which shared information and coordinated intelligence on social movements.
A study revealed that California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, was also involved with law enforcement agencies. The president of the university stated that partnerships with local fusion centers allowed them to gather support for investigative measures against students who supported pro-Palestinian causes.
Despite numerous claims of civil rights abuses and concerns over the misuse of these networks, universities have shown little willingness to curb their ties to fusion centers. In a recent interview, an official from Ohio State said "We do not discuss our security protocols in detail." Similarly, representatives from STACC remained silent when contacted for comment by The Intercept.
The proliferation of fusion centers has contributed to a broader and more intricate mass surveillance system. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation's associate director Rory Mir, this trend is linked to increased reliance on artificial intelligence assessments and data sharing among agencies.
The use of these networks raises critical questions about civil rights protection in American campuses, where students have faced significant repression for their peaceful demonstrations. Researchers warn that universities must be more mindful of their relationships with local law enforcement agencies and national surveillance programs.
In recent years, the Trump administration has been accused of utilizing federal law enforcement agencies to crack down on pro-Palestinian protesters, but documents show that this trend began under the Biden administration as well.
. These fusion centers are basically creating a surveillance state on campuses and it's super scary. I mean, who gets monitored just because they're outspoken about an issue? It's not like anyone's breaking the law or anything.
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these fusion centers just want to help keep campus safety... by spying on pro-Palestine activists. sounds legit to me! and btw, who needs transparency when it comes to security protocols? university officials are being super secretive about their ties to law enforcement agencies because they're doing nothing wrong... or so we think 
I mean, like, what's going on here? Universities are supposed to be about free speech and learning, right? But it seems like they're more worried about keeping an eye on students who want to speak out against injustice. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but when the cops start getting involved, you've got to wonder if it's really about keeping everyone safe or just silencing dissenting voices 
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It's so messed up that universities are just sitting back and letting this happen, they need to cut ties with these fusion centers ASAP 
This is a total civil liberties disaster and we need to speak out against it! 
The fact that the Biden admin is still doing this under the guise of "national security" is just sickening 
I think universities should be able to work with law enforcement to keep their campuses safe.
The fact that these centers are sharing intel with local law enforcement agencies is just creepy. I get that national security is important, but come on, can't they find better ways to handle protests without resorting to surveillance? 
it's crazy that these fusion centers are being used to spy on pro-Palestine activists on campus, just because they're trying to stand up for what they believe in is totally not something we should be fearing or suppressing. it's so frustrating that universities aren't speaking out against this stuff, instead they're just letting the police do whatever they want 
I think we need to have a bigger conversation about what's happening here and make sure our students feel safe and supported on campus 
nowadays it's all about keeping an eye on people who don't fit into "mainstream" society 
guess that's what happens when you prioritize saving money over supporting students' activities. not cool, imo.
like, how transparent can you be? 
like "we don't discuss our security protocols" yeah sure 
and it's time for some real change 
