Film only when it is safe to do so. If you record, capture the wider scene before useful details, keep the original video with neutral notes about what it shows, and think through who could be exposed if you share it. No recording method guarantees safety or that footage will be accepted as evidence.
Before you go: plan for safety and power
Make a plan with anyone accompanying you
Find out what to expect at the location, agree how you will leave, and decide how to check in if you become separated. Amnesty International recommends planning for separation; WITNESS advises having a security plan, emergency contact information, and familiarity with your equipment.
Bring only what you can manage
WITNESS recommends charged spare batteries and empty memory cards for camera users, and advises against taking equipment you could not run with. For a phone, it suggests conserving battery by closing apps, lowering screen brightness, and turning off location services. Consider that last step carefully: disabling location may conflict with an evidence workflow that records geolocation.
A watch, pen, and small notebook can help you make contemporaneous observations. Amnesty recommends a camera, watch, pen, and paper; WITNESS recommends a written record alongside the original video. Notes support the footage but do not replace it or guarantee evidentiary value.
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Consider who could be identified
Protest footage can expose both the person recording and the people filmed to unwanted attention, surveillance, or retaliation. Amnesty International describes the use of facial recognition, CCTV, and phone-tracking technologies around protests. Consider these risks before deciding what to record or carry.
While recording: capture context without taking unnecessary risks
Begin with the wider scene
Only film if it is safe to do so. The eyeWitness to Atrocities protest guide puts safety first, whether filming from near or far. Do not stay in a dangerous position or delay leaving to obtain footage.
When conditions allow, start with a broad view that helps explain where events are happening and how they unfold. The eyeWitness guide recommends documenting general context, police formations, and crowd behavior; video can show movement and sequence, while photographs can capture close details.
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Record details that help explain what happened
As it is safe and relevant, document the sequence of events, official identifiers, orders, changes in barricades or formations, injuries, arrests, weapons, and visible damage. WITNESS recommends contextualizing footage with narration and, where possible, speaking officer names or badge or helmet numbers into the camera. Include the surrounding crowd and nearby details when they help make an incident understandable.
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Record date, time, and location when it is safe to do so. If narrating, distinguish what you can see from what you infer; a calm description of actions and sequence is more useful than conclusions about motive. WITNESS and eyeWitness both recommend factual context, and eyeWitness advises keeping notes factual rather than emotional.
Interview with informed consent
Before interviewing someone, explain how the recording may be used and where it may be shared, including online or with officials. Discuss risks and respect a request not to be identifiable. WITNESS suggests options such as filming hands, covering a face, or blurring focus when anonymity is needed.
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Use a partner only if it improves safety
A companion may help monitor the surroundings, document a separate angle, or hold a memory card if the filmer faces arrest risk, as WITNESS notes. But giving another person media can create additional exposure for them. Decide whether that transfer is safe in your circumstances rather than treating it as an automatic backup.
After recording: preserve the original and its context
Keep the original file with factual notes
Retain the original video and keep its associated factual record together. Record what the footage depicts and, when known, when and where it was made. Avoid editing the only copy in a way that removes context. The sources do not establish a universal storage provider or configuration as safest; weigh access, exposure, and the risks to both the recorder and the people shown before uploading or sharing.
If you choose the eyeWitness app
The eyeWitness to Atrocities guide describes a particular workflow: test the app before the event, use it to record date, time, and location, add factual notes, and upload footage to its server as soon as possible. It says the organization maintains chain of custody after upload and may use footage for accountability. This describes that app’s process; it is not a general guarantee about cloud storage or legal admissibility.
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The guide warns that eyeWitness will not receive footage if the app is deleted before upload, and says it cannot return a copy if the user loses the footage. Follow the app’s instructions and consider that limitation before relying on it.
Decide deliberately before publishing
Do not assume identifiable footage should be posted publicly just because it may document an important event. Consider whether disclosure serves the public interest, whether the people shown consented, and whether anonymization or sharing only with an intended recipient would reduce risk. A confidential evidence record and a public-facing account may require different choices about selection and identity protection. eyeWitness focuses on evidence of possible crimes and cautions that approaches for reporting or advocacy may differ.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose a documentation approach for your circumstances
No single method fits every protest or threat model. Compare the options by immediate safety, contextual completeness, privacy exposure, preservation of originals, and local legal and ethical constraints.
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| Approach | Useful for | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary recording with written notes | Capturing events while retaining a factual record alongside the original file. | You are responsible for preserving context and deciding how and where to store or share the material. |
| Partner-assisted documentation | Having another person watch the surroundings or capture a separate angle. | Sharing media or a memory card may expose the partner as well as the footage. |
| IRCT Protest Toolkit | Making a structured record after an incident, including event details, evidence questions, and injury documentation. | The toolkit includes an illustrated guide and documentation form produced with the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health and Omega Research Foundation. It is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Bengali, and Farsi. |
| eyeWitness to Atrocities app | Following the app’s workflow for recording context and uploading material intended for accountability work. | Its custody and upload statements apply to its own workflow; test it beforehand and understand its deletion and lost-footage warnings. |
Check local law and privacy risks
Rules about filming authorities differ by jurisdiction. WITNESS explicitly cautions that filming laws vary by country, and its separate tip sheet is U.S.-focused; it should not be treated as a statement of law elsewhere. Check current, locally relevant guidance rather than assuming there is a universal right to film police or other authorities.
Being in a public place does not remove every privacy or safety concern. The guidance here supports explaining intended use, considering consent and anonymity, and assessing surveillance exposure, but it does not establish one privacy rule for every country. This is practical documentation guidance, not legal advice; whether a particular recording can be admitted as evidence depends on circumstances and applicable rules.
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