The last time they really smashed my cortisol and drove me to the edge of a spectacular public suicide, it was clearly a planned operation. When I was storming around outside looking for trouble to get into, I asked the time from one of the large men they were using to corral me and he had a thick accent. Sounded Slavic or E European.
My best guess as to who "they" are is a conglomerate of international intelligence agencies.