After Seminoles reported seeing Flock cameras in Tallahassee, student organizations have taken to protesting them at Florida State. The FSU Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) created a “De-Flock FSU” campaign and a petition, while Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) hosted a “Stop Flock Surveillance” rally.

Alejandro Carralero, co-chair of YDSA at FSU, told the FSView that the campaign aims to take intentional action and create systemic change in addition to raising campus awareness about what he described as the dangers of Flock cameras.

“[It is] clear that it is not just people like us [who dislike Flock cameras] but people across the political spectrum,” Carralero said to the FSView. “It is one of the most bipartisan issues right now.”

While some of the cameras are still posted around the city, use of the surveillance technology was suspended in after a unanimous vote by Tallahassee’s city commission on Sept. 9.

“We typically do not share detailed information about safety and security measures on campus because doing so could impair effectiveness,” Senior Director of University Communications Amy Farnum-Patronis said to the FSView. “However, in light of current ongoing conversations on this topic and in the interest of being as transparent as possible, we can confirm that the core of FSU’s campus does not contain Flock devices.”

Student organizations rally against Flock cameras

Tallahassee SDS aims to mobilize students alongside YDSA at FSU to organize and engage in protests against Flock cameras.

On Thursday, Sept. 17, Tallahassee SDS hosted a “Stop Flock Surveillance” rally on Landis Green, where approximately 30 protestors chanted slogans like “Flock cameras have got to go, hey hey, ho ho, flock cameras have got to go.”

Some students held signs that read “End Mass Surveillance,” “Stop Flock,” “Don’t let FSU lie to you,” and “Flock out of our city.” Student organizers gave speeches condemning the use of Flock cameras. A small crowd of students and faculty gathered to watch the presentations.

More: Flock camera numbers grow in Tallahassee. Here’s what students think

Thomas Speirs, a member of the Tallahassee Alliance Against Racial and Political Repression, told the FSView that local residents are addressing their concerns about the Flock cameras with municipal officers.

“At Leon County commission meetings, people are motivated to come out and speak,” Speirs said to the FSView.

Even though Speirs is not a student at the university, he described the protests as an important step toward meaningful change. 

“Politicians will bow to public pressure across the spectrum, get involved,” Speirs said at the protest. “Do the small things, that is how these sorts of movements build and grow.”

“Protesting works, it works everywhere, it doesn’t matter who’s in charge, it matters that the people mobilize anyway. People power has won things at FSU,” Tallahassee SDS Co-President Jadyn Glueck said to the FSView. 

Use of Flock cameras in the U.S., Tallahassee

According to the Tallahassee Police Department and Leon County Sheriff’s Office Public Transparency Portals, there are currently 80 ALPR cameras in Tallahassee. These numbers are less than the 100+ reported in the city on DeFlock and FlockHopper. According to its website, FlockHopper doesn’t “independently verify every point.”

Representatives from YDSA at FSU told the FSView that Flock cameras are a breach of privacy, citing national instances of technology misuse. In one particular 2025 case, former Georgia police chief Michael Steffman was arrested for using the network to stalk his ex-girlfriend, Marci Bakely.

More: New police arrests, firings for Flock misuse after our investigation

During YSDA’s first general body meeting on Sept. 10, they discussed their “De-Flock FSU” mission. Group members said FSU still uses the Flock camera system and urged students to get involved and take action through the campaign.

Beyond the suspension, YDSA at FSU is also looking for action and transparency from the FSU Police Department. The campaign’s long-term goals include enacting stricter laws governing how these cameras can be used, as well as completely removing all Flock camera systems from Tallahassee.

The organization is also aware of the possibility that Flock cameras, which are created by Flock Safety, could be replaced by competitors if removed.

“It’s not just taking down the cameras; it’s making sure they’re not going to put any other competitor up,” Caralero said about the YDSA campaign.

LeighRose Papanikolaou is a Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU and Tallahassee communities. Email our staff at contact@fsview.com.

This article originally appeared on FSU News: ‘Stop the Flock’: Tallahassee students protest Flock cameras