The protest against the expansion of Camp Grayling, the largest National Guard training facility in the country, took an unexpected turn when activists were investigated as terrorism suspects by the FBI. The opposition to the expansion had started a year earlier when the military proposed leasing forest land managed by Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources. The activists had planned to protest at a career fair at the University of Michigan, but when government recruiters did not show up, they proceeded with their plan anyway.
During the protest, two activists doused the NSA recruiting table and Navy personnel with fake blood, leading to their arrest and charges. However, local and federal authorities saw the incident as more than just a routine protest. The local sheriff’s office documented it as a hate crime against law enforcement, while the FBI recorded it as part of a terrorism investigation. This response is part of a worldwide trend of governments smearing climate and environmental activists as terrorists, known as the Green Scare.
The FBI has a history of fixating on environmental protest movements as terrorism suspects, even though most of these movements engage in First Amendment-protected activity. The FBI’s counterterrorism investigations often lack accountability, and it is difficult to determine whether they are investigating true terrorism or targeting groups based on their political beliefs. The misapplication of the terrorism label serves as a pretext for invasive surveillance and sustained scrutiny.
The Stop Camp Grayling protesters were not engaged in any systematic criminal activity and had never endangered human life. Their protest activities included banner drops, teach-ins, and graffiti on billboards. Yet, the FBI shared an activist zine with military intelligence, involved other alphabet agencies, and conducted physical surveillance operations, all under the designation of a domestic terrorism investigation.
The activists’ concerns about the expansion of Camp Grayling were not unfounded. The base had a dismal environmental record, particularly regarding its use of PFAS “forever chemicals” in fire suppressant foam. PFAS levels in local bodies of water had already caused health warnings, and the proposed expansion would have further endangered riparian ecosystems and nearby rivers leading to Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.
Despite the activists’ efforts, the expansion of Camp Grayling was eventually blocked by the acting director of the Department of Natural Resources, who attributed the decision to public concern and opposition from tribal governments. However, hard-line activists and conservation groups still had concerns about the ecological impacts of testing electronic warfare systems in the Michigan forest.
Throughout the Stop Camp Grayling Week of Action, authorities closely monitored the protesters. Even the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command was involved in FBI operations on the ground. The FBI eventually planned to carry out in-person surveillance against the protesters. Six FBI agents were assigned to the operation, along with a Michigan State Police contact for traffic stops.
The investigation and surveillance of the Stop Camp Grayling protesters highlight the government’s tendency to view environmental and climate activists as terrorists. This approach not only undermines their right to peaceful protest but also diverts resources from addressing real threats to national security. It is essential to hold authorities accountable for their actions and ensure that the terrorism label is not misused to suppress dissent and activism.