First Amendment Audit YouTube Videos

[oakdalecurtis]

A friend was showing me some YouTube videos called First Amendment Audits. The cameramen go to public facilities in publicly accessible areas and start filming. They are not recording anyone's conversations or interfering in anyones duties or job. They never film from private property. Immediately they are routinely confronted by employees and LEOs saying that they cannot film in these public areas. Then the cameramen are challenged by the LEOs for their ID's, even though the LEO's cannot articulate any crime the cameramen might be committing, which is required to demand a free citizen's ID. When the cameramen decline to ID, the LEO's become irate and threaten detention and/or arrest. You would think by now that LEOs everywhere would have gotten the memo that it is not illegal or "suspicious behavior" to exercise a Constitutional First Amendment right (free press) in a public place. Occasionally the cameramen will show a video of officer that shows up and just asks if everything is ok and then leaves without incident. Why have our LEOs not gotten the memo yet that the Constitution, which they are sworn to uphold, allows filming in public places?

[BehindBlueI's]

Generally it's not illegal. There are exceptions, such as:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/795

However outside of that sort of thing it's legal to record as long as you aren't obstructing traffic, etc.

[Artemas2]

A friend was showing me some YouTube videos called First Amendment Audits. The cameramen go to public facilities in publicly accessible areas and start filming. They are not recording anyone's conversations or interfering in anyones duties or job. They never film from private property. Immediately they are routinely confronted by employees and LEOs saying that they cannot film in these public areas. Then the cameramen are challenged by the LEOs for their ID's, even though the LEO's cannot articulate any crime the cameramen might be committing, which is required to demand a free citizen's ID. When the cameramen decline to ID, the LEO's become irate and threaten detention and/or arrest. You would think by now that LEOs everywhere would have gotten the memo that it is not illegal or "suspicious behavior" to exercise a Constitutional First Amendment right (free press) in a public place. Occasionally the cameramen will show a video of officer that shows up and just asks if everything is ok and then leaves without incident. Why have our LEOs not gotten the memo yet that the Constitution, which they are sworn to uphold, allows filming in public places?

In a post 9/11 world that is pretty sketchy. It is also weird and abnormal which is why someone likely called the police about said weird behavior.

[jh9]

which is required to demand a free citizen's ID
...
Why have our LEOs not gotten the memo yet that the Constitution, which they are sworn to uphold, allows filming in public places?

Well, it's a busy job and it's easy to forget some things. For starters: you have to ask them, in a firm voice, 'Am I being detained?' That lets them know out the gate you know more than they do. You also have to remind them that your sovereignty as a free citizen trumps their powers of arrest and that you've googled what they can and can't do to a free citizen. The police are scared of Google because of this, so once you mention it you've established a zone of protection from their actions.

That usually puts them on notice as to who they're dealing with, but if they're still asking questions like "who are you" and "what are you doing in the lavatory" remind them that the local sales tax is unconstitutional. That's a little known fact in spite of what the IRS would tell the public, and another signal that you have an established sovereignty they can't violate.

You'll be back to auditing before you know it

[feudist]

Well, it's a busy job and it's easy to forget some things. For starters: you have to ask them, in a firm voice, 'Am I being detained?' That lets them know out the gate you know more than they do. You also have to remind them that your sovereignty as a free citizen trumps their powers of arrest and that you've googled what they can and can't do to a free citizen. The police are scared of Google because of this, so once you mention it you've established a zone of protection from their actions.

That usually puts them on notice as to who they're dealing with, but if they're still asking questions like "who are you" and "what are you doing in the lavatory" remind them that the local sales tax is unconstitutional. That's a little known fact in spite of what the IRS would tell the public, and another signal that you have an established sovereignty they can't violate.

You'll be back to auditing before you know it

I uh...got nothin'.

[Darth_Uno]

Can't really muster up the outrage here. I've got a friend who loves to post those "Cop-Watch" videos and whatnot. All I can think is that this all could have been avoided if the "victims" hadn't gone out of their way to be a pest.

[cheby]

You want more government regulations? This is how more government regulations look like.

[TC215]

A friend was showing me some YouTube videos called First Amendment Audits. The cameramen go to public facilities in publicly accessible areas and start filming. They are not recording anyone's conversations or interfering in anyones duties or job. They never film from private property. Immediately they are routinely confronted by employees and LEOs saying that they cannot film in these public areas. Then the cameramen are challenged by the LEOs for their ID's, even though the LEO's cannot articulate any crime the cameramen might be committing, which is required to demand a free citizen's ID. When the cameramen decline to ID, the LEO's become irate and threaten detention and/or arrest. You would think by now that LEOs everywhere would have gotten the memo that it is not illegal or "suspicious behavior" to exercise a Constitutional First Amendment right (free press) in a public place. Occasionally the cameramen will show a video of officer that shows up and just asks if everything is ok and then leaves without incident. Why have our LEOs not gotten the memo yet that the Constitution, which they are sworn to uphold, allows filming in public places?

I’ve had some run-ins with “First Amendment Auditors”. I ignore them. I am of the opinion, however, that they’re dickheads.

[Joe in PNG]

I’ve had some run-ins with “First Amendment Auditors”. I ignore them. I am of the opinion, however, that they’re dickheads.

"Attention whore" is also acceptable.

[JAD]

I’ve had some run-ins with “First Amendment Auditors”. I ignore them. I am of the opinion, however, that they’re dickheads.

That's not an opinion. That's science.