Post B2mA3FNWHLGVMHY7ai by futurebird@sauropods.win
(DIR) More posts by futurebird@sauropods.win
(DIR) Post #B2m8O3QTiE3IShj8wC by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-29T11:17:19Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
When you are filming police try not to talk to them. Avoid:"Is it OK if I film?" (That isn't up to them.)"Sorry officer." (You have done nothing wrong don't apologize.)Try things like."I am filming from a safe distance."If they start yelling at you focus on:"Am I free to leave?"Every time I've said this the officer has responded with "shut up" (ok??)I'm happy to comply with *that* one and keep filming from a safe distance.
(DIR) Post #B2m8m46mpK2RWoxwTA by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-29T11:21:39Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
"Am I free to leave?" *will* mark you out as an "annoying do-gooder who doesn't like police"But this could be an improvement on seeming like someone they could trick or trip up more easily. Prepare to be ignored. Police will try to provoke you so they can arrest you or stop you from filming. Police will hit you unprovoked or try to knock your phone away. Don't waste time "reasoning" with them. Just get the video so more people can see what they are doing.
(DIR) Post #B2m9BBg3p4OeF6Rb7I by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-29T11:26:11Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Practice how you will film and what you will say. It will be a very stressful situation and it's tempting to just try to "be reasonable and talk" you aren't dealing with someone who is reasonable. They want you to stop filming. They may be very angry and emotional and lash out without warning.This can be shocking if you have watch too many TV cop dramas.You are our eyes and ears. The things you film could vanish forever so don't get drawn in to a back and forth.
(DIR) Post #B2m9kZd4lJe4fBvC4G by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-29T11:32:35Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
If you are in a public space and "a safe distance away" and "not getting in the way" you are following all of the laws when filming openly. Shockingly even if you are clearly doing all of these things a police officer may react as if you aren't. Be ready for that reaction. The more people do this the more video there will be so the truth gets out to the public. But, even if the video isn't important it sends a message about your community and expectations.
(DIR) Post #B2mA3FNWHLGVMHY7ai by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-29T11:35:57Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
"You are stressing the police out no wonder they overreact."I've heard arguments along these lines far too often. It is true that having half a dozen people whip out there phone and start filming is stressful. But when that doesn't happen people are hurt and we never learn their names or what happened. If you see someone filming police it's supportive and helpful to join them.
(DIR) Post #B2mAZKgQ5hDF4sgnh2 by burnitdown@beige.party
2026-01-29T11:41:43Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird cops often don't know which law they're enforcing, nor do they care.
(DIR) Post #B2mAeB736KlgqLSIqm by burnitdown@beige.party
2026-01-29T11:42:36Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird making cops feel stress is good. fuck every last one of them.
(DIR) Post #B2mAkxtSeF39s7KtcW by lhaulde@piaille.fr
2026-01-29T11:43:49Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird a former colleague of mine was filming when a cop came to him agressivily and he replied: "oh but it's to protect you, you know, just in case"He was white, looking like "a good guy" so he used that to fool the police (it worked)It takes some nerve to do that, but hey, it's a method And yes in France we have the exact same problems, except that so far we don't have ICE
(DIR) Post #B2mHI8jnwwmgmn1Ojo by BrainLover@mastodon.social
2026-01-29T12:57:03Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird thank you for this, I feel that it’s still too easy for people (especially whites) to feel a need to be overly polite to the police and apologize for everything (granted people say sorry for no reason allready)
(DIR) Post #B2mKxr36PEtBwyd9t2 by Phosphenes@mastodon.social
2026-01-29T13:38:11Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird 'If you film us killing people it might make us kill people.'See, they've only ever killed people when someone happens to be filming. They are the Warner Brothers frog of not-murder.
(DIR) Post #B2mlQZc4uPUH51LSEa by blogdiva@mastodon.social
2026-01-29T18:34:43Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
POINT OF INFORMATION: never talk to cops. especially as a citizen journalist. set yourself at a safe distance and just film. people who want to do this regularly, may want to set themselves up with a backpack on their chest to house their phone set up on a selfie stick. if you are a cyclist, a GoPro on your helmet AND on your bike are good alternatives. in #nyc in particular, it is best to have your hands free. i should revive my old dos & donts list for indie journos.@futurebird
(DIR) Post #B2mmAI30Y8wRvDjyfQ by arisummerland@beige.party
2026-01-29T18:42:58Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird this is sound advice, and I thank you. I was watching a soccer final last year where all the referees had shirts on that I apparently had a pocket on the inside for an iPhone with the back lens facing outward through their shirt. I'm not sure how they controlled the video recording, but it was effective. They were actually streaming so that people watching the game could see from their angles. I've been thinking a lot about that lately because it would be an interesting way to film. Someone would really have to look directly at you and scan you to see that you had a lens on your chest or wherever. My plan (since I don't carry my phone when I go to protests) is to have my GoPro affixed to my person somewhere. The drawback is, to get the footage, I have to take the SD card out and put it on my laptop at home. I need to practice. I did that with my inflatable costume and the tech I had on me before I did the last big protest and it made a difference.
(DIR) Post #B2mr16tf8cZ2VFoN0a by johnzajac@dice.camp
2026-01-29T19:37:20Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird So a really sweet escalation I haven't see anyone try (doesn't mean they aren't) is to swarm the sky with camera drones, too - in addition to the on the ground legal observers.They can travel faster than ICE, and you could attach them to vehicles as the vehicles leave the ICE facilities.Also, having 10-20 buzzing quad-copters with their beady little eyes on you sounds terrifying.Who's watching? What can I do about it?Nothing, bitch. Nothing.
(DIR) Post #B2nE9Zim9RfHA9iz5c by pleaseclap@techhub.social
2026-01-29T23:56:36Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird The law enforcement community has playbooks for policing communities without triggering an immune response, but ICE strategists seem to have the opposite goal. It's almost as if they're counting on the fact that if they create enough of these high pressure situations, under-trained stressed out people will eventually make mistakes
(DIR) Post #B2ncVUstDH9LQrRQNE by bamfic@autonomous.zone
2026-01-30T04:29:27Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird that is beautiful because leaving is exactly what they want you to do
(DIR) Post #B2o6DqkCCJHmdpsNMm by CardboardRobot@mstdn.social
2026-01-30T09:45:34Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@blogdiva @futurebird I’m guessing many people don’t have a family, civil rights or immigration lawyer at fingertips if something happens suddenly. What are good resources around this?