Extremists Scout Future Chicago Quantum Campus, Publish Security Weak Points Online
Executive Summary
A radical anarchist website has published a surveillance and security analysis of the future Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in South Chicago. The post identifies access vulnerabilities, minimal law enforcement presence, and low surveillance, urging followers to disrupt the facility’s development. This militant action comes amid broader community resistance to the $1 billion project led by PsiQuantum and championed by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
Analysis
In a June 2025 post titled Spring 2025 Scouting at Proposed Location for the Quantum Campus, the anarchist site Unsalted Counter Info published what amounts to a tactical field report on the grounds of the planned Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. Authored anonymously and framed as a direct-action guide, the post describes entry points through damaged fencing, a lack of “No Trespassing” signs, minimal surveillance, and the general absence of construction activity. The write-up concludes with calls to “take risks” and “fight against Quantum,” revealing an explicit ideological opposition to state-backed surveillance technology, scientific infrastructure, and corporate development.
The target of the post, PsiQuantum’s 300,000-square-foot quantum computer facility, was announced in July 2024 as the flagship project of the state’s new quantum hub. Backed by Governor Pritzker and supported by DARPA, the project promises a major economic revitalization of the former U.S. Steel site along the Calumet River. The facility is expected to bring thousands of construction jobs and at least 150 permanent roles in advanced technology.
However, the project has also sparked vocal opposition from community activists and environmental justice advocates. Anne Holcomb, representing the group ETHOS, publicly condemned the lack of community input, warning that locals have been shut out of the planning process. Holcomb also raised alarms about environmental contamination at the former industrial site, citing toxins such as cadmium and chromium and questioning whether remediation efforts are sufficient. Her warnings were detailed in an April report by the Hyde Park Herald, and echoed by groups demanding a community benefits agreement before construction proceeds.
Despite these calls for transparency and accountability, the city’s development push remains aggressive. The Chicago Plan Commission unanimously approved zoning for the quantum campus in November 2024, a move criticized by local organizers. Block Club Chicago reported that while city officials promote the project as a generational opportunity, activists warn of displacement, gentrification, and unfulfilled promises.
With the publication of a field-based vulnerability assessment by anti-state extremists, the quantum campus project now faces a new layer of risk: one that blends ideological opposition with tactical sabotage planning. The report may embolden other radical actors and raises serious security concerns for a site that represents billions in investment and strategic technology infrastructure.
