British universities paid security firm to ‘spy’ on pro-Palestine students
Summary
Twelve British universities hired a private security company to monitor student protests and academics, including those supporting Palestine. The company reviewed social media and conducted threat assessments to track protest activity on campuses.Key Facts
- The security firm, Horus Security Consultancy Limited, is run by former military intelligence officers.
- Since 2022, universities have paid Horus at least £440,000 (about $594,000).
- Horus monitored pro-Palestinian students and academics, including a Palestinian guest lecturer and a PhD student.
- The University of Bristol gave Horus a list of protest groups to watch, including pro-Palestinian and animal rights activists.
- Other universities involved are Oxford, Imperial College London, UCL, King’s College London, Sheffield, Leicester, Nottingham, and Cardiff Metropolitan.
- Universities said the monitoring used only public information and aimed to maintain safety, not discourage protests.
- Horus was started in 2006 as part of Oxford University’s security team.
- A director of Horus has claimed pro-Gaza protests are influenced by foreign countries and suggested deporting some foreign protesters.
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