On April 30th, as dozens of Yale University students started the second day of their encampment to demand that the university divest from weapons manufacturing, the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s New Haven office, Jennifer Wagner, sent an email to Yale Police Department (YPD) Chief Anthony Campbell. “The FBI has been monitoring the widespread protests related to the Israel/Hamas conflict at several colleges and universities,” she wrote, adding “if needed, FBI New Haven stands ready to provide support to you and your educational institutions” and “feel free to contact me either by cell or email should you need anything from the FBI.” Just two days later, the YPD—the university’s 93-officer-strong private security force that possesses law enforcement powers—appeared to have taken Wagner up on her offer, enlisting the help of the FBI to investigate a pro-Palestine student who was accused of poking a counter-protesting Zionist student in the eye with a flag. As one YPD detective wrote to a sergeant, describing the results of the collaboration, the “FBI [was] in possession” of the accused student’s cell phone after he had been “located by video” and “tracked to his apartment,” which was then searched under a warrant. …..more