Students said the private investigators were hired by the university located in the city of Ann Arbor in the state of Michigan, 45 miles (72.4 kilometers) west of the city of Detroit, and have been following them both on and off campus, recording them on video and eavesdropping on their conversations.
According to the British daily The Guardian, student protesters also said the surveillance appears to be largely a harassment and intimidation tactic.
The undercover investigators have cursed at them, threatened them, and in one case, one of them allegedly drove a car at a student who had to jump out of the vehicle’s way, they added.
Students said they have identified dozens of undercover investigators, often working in teams, and confronted them. Just like in the movies, the teams have been discovered sitting at nearby tables at cafes and bars, tracking the students whenever they meet. In one case, which was recorded on video, a man who had been trailing the student faked disabilities and falsely accused the student of attempting to rob him.
In 2024, student protesters set up an encampment demanding the university divest from Israeli companies, prompting campus officials to request the attorney general to prosecute students charged with alleged crimes during the protests.
Israel, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a genocidal offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 54,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children.Aid agencies have warned of a looming famine among the enclave’s more than 2 million inhabitants.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.
University protests in the US against the war in Gaza have expanded to other campuses across the country and attracted global attention. Hundreds of students and professors have been suspended for participating in these protests at different US universities.
Source: Anadolu Agency
