Evidence of a successful lobbying campaign by campus security officials emerged in an email written last August by Oliver Curran, the chair of the Association of University Chief Security Officers (Aucso), a professional body with members at more than 140 UK universities.
University leaders reassured campus security officials amid pro-Palestine protests in the UK that they would back them if “things got tough” after their US counterparts were disciplined for their approach, according to internal emails.
Up to 113 students and staff in the UK have faced disciplinary investigations linked to pro-Palestine protest activity across at least 28 universities since the 7 October attacks, according to additional freedom of information requests by Liberty Investigates and Sky News.
In the note to Aucso members, obtained by Liberty Investigates and shared with the Guardian, Curran wrote that he had met Universities UK, the body that represents vice-chancellors, after visiting a security conference in New Orleans.
At least nine universities received briefings on protests from private intelligence and security companies including Horus Security Ltd, Mitie Intelligence Hub and the risk specialist Global Situational Awareness.
