In 2014 Austin Police Department shot and killed 21 dogs.
And one of them was “Shiner Bock”, a local Austin street artist, Julian Reyes companion dog, which he considered unforgivable.
Soon after Julian became a legal advocate in response to that horrendous crime by the APD. Julian has joined several groups of Filmer’s and individuals and is still out filming. Julian has mostly been filming to keep the same city police department from harming people and their dogs. Julian helps folks who either don’t know their rights or have no real access to law themselves, people who are impacted in historically marginalized communities of Austin.
He still films the cops on the streets in Austin. A dangerous job. Mostly on a volunteer basis and for independent news outlets like the Challenger Street Newspaper.
Since the Austin Police Department shot his dog, Julian has trained and shared knowledge with dozens of other Photo Journalists in Austin, St. Louis/Ferguson, Missouri, and literally others around the globe through his Youtube page “Lizzardo Giganticus” @LizzardoGiganticus.
Julian also likes to film interactions with government officials. The same government officials (aka police) that will often retaliate against us for filming. Julian has documented APD using threats, intimidation, coercion and even blocking the view of many people that film them. These threats often lead to police retaliation, interference of filming rights, and false arrests.
Until now little could be done for indigent and low-income Filmer’s.
Now we have the Watchers Defense Collective in Austin, Texas. We are a non-political group operating under Open Collective Foundation (our 501c3 fiscal host). We intend to help Filmer’s defend their Civil Rights, as well as push hard against the fabricated immunities that police and their parent governmental entities and persons in charge enjoy in the Courts.
We do this as you do this – for social justice for all, and for transparency and accountability of Government. Creating a more just, accountable and transparent land for people to protect people from rogue agents operating under color of law. Protecting people’s Civil Rights and proving again that filming is a constitutionally protected exercise. Transparency of government is the law. Accountability is part of that right and a major goal of social justice. Without us Filmer’s no one is safe from our own government and any dangerous rogue agents. Transparency of government is a type of sunlight that cures corruption especially as seen with policing. We can’t talk about your “public safety” without all of the above.
Until police are required to live stream all their activities to the Public from their body cameras, we are responsible to document them on film. Citizen journalist and the free press, must be allowed access and the freedom to express themselves through film, and to practice that art form, as free speech and a protected right.
Exercise filming, flex your rights when you are able, seek justice and Film the Police for the People and your community. Keep us safe and remedy ongoing fraud, waste and abuse.
Join us, sponsor us, and film the police, it’s your right and it is essential.
For the People