In this age of unchecked emphasis on national security, even liberal democracies seem prone to forgetting the histories of political policing and surveillance undergirding what we think of as our safety. Challenging this social amnesia, Aziz Choudry asks: What can we learn about the power of the state from the very people targeted by its security operations? Drawing on the knowledge of activists and academics from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Chile, Activists and the Surveillance State delves into the harassment, infiltration, and disruption that has colored state responses to those deemed threats to national security. The book shows that, ultimately, movements can learn from their own repression, developing a critical and complex understanding of the nature of states and capital today that can crucially inform the struggles of tomorrow. “ Activists and the Surveillance State is a wide-ranging exploration of collective organizing in response to state and corporate surveillance. The book’s rich discussion of what movements have learned—and failed to learn—about how surveillance works makes it a crucial reference for scholars and activists alike.”   ― Arun Kundnani, author of The Muslims Are Coming “This important collection draws critical attention to the harms of state surveillance and police power, and how this power has been challenged and resisted by ordinary citizens. It is a must-read for activists, community organisers, and scholars alike.” ― Waqas Tufail, Leeds Beckett University “Activists in social movements and others challenging the prevailing socioeconomic and political structures will find in this book invaluable lessons and an effective antidote to the harassment, infiltration, and 'dirty tricks' of agencies that uphold the interests of the corporate and political elite.”   -- Salim Vally, University of Johannesburg “An important intervention that moves us beyond assessments of the scale and scope of surveillance and securitisation to reflect on lessons learned from multiple global resistance movements. The contributions in this book prompt us to consider possibilities for more hopeful futures.”   -- Nisha Kapoor, author of Deport, Deprive, Extradite: 21st Century State Extremis Aziz Choudry was Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Movement Learning and Knowledge Production in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University, and Visiting Professor at the Centre for Education Rights and Transformation (CERT), University of Johannesburg. He is editor of  The University and Social Justice, Activists and the Surveillance State  and  Just Work? Migrant Workers' Struggles Today  (Pluto, 2020, 2019, 2016).