How a state agency kept a season of demonstrations safe

The challenge

In late September 2025, after a police shooting, demonstrations began in one of the state’s cities and continued for eight weeks. Most were peaceful. Some were not: on two occasions groups blocked an interstate, and an occupation of a state building was announced publicly a week in advance. The state’s fusion center was asked to support local agencies with an assessment of each event before it happened, with six analysts and no additional budget.

What the fusion center did

Analysts set up Murmur watches for the events, the places where they were planned and the public accounts that announced them. Murmur read 1.7 million public posts over the season and sorted what it found into the agency’s own categories, among them event logistics, officer safety and a category for the accounts that originated and coordinated plans for disruption. It showed that the great majority of accounts posting about the demonstrations reached few people, and that a small number originated nearly every plan. Under the agency’s policies, analysts designated 41 accounts for closer attention.

From accounts to people

With the agency’s legal authority, Kinship resolved 1,306 of the most active public accounts to 884 people and 6 organizations, using records already held by the state and by local agencies. The resulting network showed the 41 designated individuals at its center, connected to one another through shared addresses, vehicles seen together by Kerbside cameras, and earlier incidents. Analysts briefed local agencies before each event on the people most likely to attempt a disruption, and where they were likely to be.

The network analysts briefed from: public accounts (gray), the 41 individuals at its center (orange) and six organizations. Positions are illustrative.

Results

The fusion center supported 33 events over 58 days. The announced occupation of the state building did not take place, and there were no further interstate blockades after the second week. Local agencies reported no serious injuries to officers or the public at any supported event. The center has kept its watches and categories in place for future events.

Murmur let six analysts understand a movement of thousands, and tell the handful who meant to cause harm from everyone else.

Director, a state intelligence fusion center in the South