The Secrets to Filming a Peaceful Protest If Police Attack
By Corey Ogilvie, Director, Occupy The Movie (2/22/12)
As the weather warms and more events are happening across the country, here are some great tips to help best capture that next viral clip or photo - while protecting our right to be in the streets.
Part of OCCUPY THE MOVIE, directed by Corey Ogilvie, an indy film series aiming to be entirely funded by the 99%. Join us, become a crowd funding producer at: http://www.indiegogo.com/OccupyTheMovie
An introductory tutorial for aspiring citizen journalists to consider before next entering the field. You are needed more than ever, to bring the people direct truth, taking out the middle man in the archaic mainstream media. Each camera is a new set of eyes we all share in near real time - no one can take this from us, so it is imperative we refine and develop new skills and strategies to capture the missteps of power. Let us know if you have any ideas for a follow-up video about how to better film a revolution! Dedicated to the Citizen Journalist, who is just as important as the Protester in bringing about real change.
5-Minute Video: http://readersupportednews.org/video/4-video/10099-the-secrets-to-filming-a-peaceful-protest-if-police-attack
“If You See Something, Start Videotaping”
By Mark L. Taylor
Daily Call (3/9/12)
Given the upcoming political conventions this summer and the huge amounts of weaponry, cops and surveillance purchased to keep the people firmly in place during these events (to the tune of $50 million of your tax money allocated by congress to each party) we will see a ratcheting up of violent and unconstitutional police state tactics this summer.
Now, with the police state legal structure in place through passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which permits the preventive indefinitemilitary detention and denial of basic habeas corpus rights for American citizens, everything is in place to stifle, control and direct political discourse in America. The NDAA was a fully bi-partisan bill, rammed through by both Democrats and Republicans and quickly signed into law by President Obama. Make no mistake, this is bi-partisan fascism and it is about to be set loose. (See the story below about the unfolding crackdown on animal rights activists.)
One needs to understand just how PO’d the establishment was by the Occupy Wall Street protests of last fall. Instead of numbing out and dumbing down on reality TV or some redundant and unimportant sports spectacle, intelligent, well-informed citizens actually began talking to each other about economic injustice and the illegal looting of the nation’s wealth by the crusty upper 1%. Nothing is more of an existential threat to the cadre of hedge funders, corporate crooks, professional politicians, lobbyists, the banks and the entire military industrial infrastructure that runs the economy than a well-informed, active citizenry. That is simply not to be tolerated. After all, it’s impossible to have the corrupt system now running America with a well-informed citizenry.
Citizens occupying public spaces to have conversation and speeches about the loss of democracy and to discuss and demonstrate for rational reform is a threat to the very existence of the power structure so the power structure has moved quickly to set up the militarized domestic forces and the anti-constitutional legal framework needed to make absolute control possible.
As the video below notes, documenting the abuse of power is as essential as it is legal. As one of the commentators noted about the video camera: “This little thing is a weapon against tyranny.”
Be sure to take a video camera with you to every political gathering, protest or picketing event you participate in. (And make sure the batteries are fully charged.)
You have a right to film in public spaces. You do not have the right to interfere with the police, but you have an absolute right to stand back, clear of the action, and document what is happening. No matter what a police officer tells you.
If you do have problems call out to others to video tape what is happening to you, note the badge number of cops who are trying to bully you. Jot down, details of time and location and what was said, and names or descriptions of witnesses. Remember, you have the right to video tape police and police actions.
At least for now, so exercise the right to help us regain the other rights that have been stolen from us by the Republicans and Democrats who have voted for tyranny.
Watch the short video below to better appreciate your right to film and record.
4-Minute Video - “If You See Something, Film Something”
You have a right to film the police : http://www.brasschecktv.com/videos/solutions/if-see-something-film-somethingyou-have-a-right-to-film-the-police.html
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