Leave Me Alone

weaselle

There was an arrest across the street from my place in Oakland one day – three cop cars with a bullhorn and guns out – and before I could even get out the gate there were a couple people posted up and one of them was filming and another one was narrating in a calm but very loud voice, just

“HE IS COOPERATING! HIS HANDS ARE EMPTY! HE IS DOING WHAT HE IS TOLD TO DO! HE IS HOLDING STILL! HIS HANDS ARE EMPTY! HE IS NOT BEING THREATENING! HE HAS PUT HIS HANDS BEHIND HIS HEAD AS ASKED! HE IS NOT RESISTING!”

and that was something I hadn’t thought to do before. It certainly let the cops know what the narrative of eye witnesses was going to be.

I especially liked “his hands are empty” because this statement would still be true and a witnessed reason the police should not become violent even if it turned out he had a weapon on his person somewhere.

lotrlocked

I see people in NYC stop and record a lot. Even if they are just being nosey, that’s still witnesses if shit goes down.

robphoton7

We must be vigilant. The New Solidarity. You might just save a fellow human being.

paddysnuffles

If you don’t feel comfortable with doing the narrating thing (which really is quite clever), even just standing around and blatantly staring actually legit helps immensely.

There are studies that show that even an image of someone looking can be effective to change people’s behaviours.

Sidenote: If you see a cop stopping an Indigenous person, the same protocol applies.

prismatic-bell

I did this in a parking lot when I saw a group of Black men and teens being harassed by a cop. Stayed in my car, but whipped out my phone and started to record, pointing out via narrative when I could hear the cop contradicting himself and changing his story. At the eight-minute mark, when I knew he was past the reasonable-stop guideline time (thanks, legal tips side of tumblr!), I flipped on my dome light.

Fam, what happened next was INCREDIBLE.

The cop had been gesturing in a wild way, almost flailing, like he was actively trying to get these guys agitated. He saw my dome light, saw a white face with a phone, and suddenly his hands came to rest on his vest. Within 90 seconds he’d packed his shit up and gone.

The most outspoken gentleman in the group came up to me and went “whatchu doing in there?” So I straight-up told him “it looked like you were being harassed, so I was recording.” The whole group recognized someone who was on their side, and started venting about the shit that had just gone down.

Turns out the asshole had had them stopped for a good five minutes before I pulled in. That means they were stopped, with no probable cause and a cop changing his story no fewer than three times, for AT LEAST THIRTEEN MINUTES. While chatting in a parking lot. One car had pulled in next to another that turned out to belong to one of his buddies and they were just shooting the shit when Officer Bacon came by.

Want to know the kicker here? One of the cop’s stories was that a group “matching their description” had been reported by the grocery store security guy for shoplifting. Black man, red shirt with a sports logo, jeans. Know what this convenient report didn’t mention?

HIS HEIGHT.

This guy was, without exaggeration, at least 6’10”. I assure you any report of him would have mentioned his height FIRST. And you’d best believe I pointed that out in my narration.

Cops WILL try shit. You CAN stop them. I did it and it was as simple as having some patience and a camera.

magicalpaz

Same for muslims!

Look out for your fellow marginalized people!

i-like-the-stars

[ID: Tweet from Jaclyn Gabrielle, @/JaclynGabrielle, that says, “Dear. All. People. If you see a cop talking to an African American person, I know you better stop walking. You better stay right there till that cop gets back in their car and drives away. Let them know we are watching them and they are not alone. This is the least we can do. (A few things have been changed for ease of reading, such as: all caps changed to not be in all caps.) End ID.]

[Plain text from tumblr user @/weaselle:

“He is cooperating! His hands are empty! He is doing what he is told to do! He is holding still! His hands are empty! He is not being threatening! He has put his hands behind his head as asked! He is not resisting!” /End plain text.]

wizardgender

vampire-core

[id: a reddit post in r/actuallesbians by u/96sheep that’s titled: My relationships with trans women have been the most spiritual I’ve had.

the post reads: It can be hard to articulate exactly why. Friendships, and my relationships alike. I’m cis but I’m a butch lesbian and I have struggled with being a woman - with what it means when being a woman is defined so much by our relationship to men but I’m living a life apart from men.

That melts away when I’m with my trans partner. It feels like I’m being drenched in reverence for womanhood as an independent, self-realised, personally crafted concept that has nothing to do with women being other or secondary to or defined by patriarchy. Like being brushed with gold. It is spiritually, emotionally healing. It’s hopeful. /end]

Leave Me Alone

See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

Sidenote: If you see a cop stopping an Indigenous person, the same protocol applies.