Keeping Observers Safe
Use This Remote Witness Setup
Just today, another protestor was shot in Minneapolis, his crime? Recording ICE at work terrorizing the citizens of Minnesota. Yes, he was armed — legally — but his actions, leading up to seven ICE officers jumping him, pulling him to the ground and literally, pistol whipping him, was using his cellphone to record them. What happened on the ground, in the midst of the violent struggle is yet to be determined, but you can rest assured, if experience has taught us anything, the Federal government will lie through their teeth and fabricate false narratives to justify this most recent murder of a US citizen in the streets of our once great country.
A few days ago, I had an idea that I think I need to share to anyone and everyone engaged in resisting the fascist takeover of America. It’s goal is to make observers safer, or at least, to preserve the footage that documents this moment in history, the very footage, that will one day be used to condemn and hold these people accountable for these horrific acts against humanity.
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Instead of observers using their cellphone to record ICE/DHS/Police, create a wearable, hand-free rig using a GoPro recording to an off-site website. I worked with AI to create this idea, so I am going to share the conversation I had with Gemini. What follows is AI, not me, though the idea was mine, and I worked with Gemini to tweak the results to be what I had envisioned, the technical details below are all AI.
1. The Core Philosophy: “Cloud-Only” Recording
Standard body cams record to an internal SD card. If the camera is confiscated, the evidence is gone. This setup flips that: the GoPro acts only as a lens and transmitter, while your private server acts as the digital vault.
- No SD Card Reliance: While the GoPro needs a small “dummy” SD card to turn on, you disable the “Save to SD” setting in the app.
- Instant Archiving: The moment the video hits your private server, it is saved in small blocks (e.g., every 5 minutes). Even if the stream is cut abruptly, all previous blocks are already secured.
2. The Hardware Kit (The “Wearable Station”)
To make this work for an observer in the field, the gear must be rugged, hands-free, and powered for hours.
- The Camera: A GoPro HERO8 or newer (HERO11/12/13 are best for signal stability).
- The Mount: A Chest Harness (“Chesty”). This provides a stable, “first-person” perspective that captures interactions clearly while keeping the observer’s hands free for safety.
- The Power Solution: * USB Pass-Through Door: You replace the standard GoPro battery door with a special “Pass-Through Door.” This allows you to plug in a power cable while keeping the battery compartment sealed.
- External Power Bank: A 20,000mAh power bank (like an Anker or Ugreen) tucked into a pocket or backpack. This can power a continuous live broadcast for 6–8 hours, compared to just 45 minutes on the internal battery.
- The Connection: The observer’s smartphone acts as a “Mobile Hotspot.” The GoPro connects to the phone’s Wi-Fi to send the data to the internet.
3. The Technical Pipeline (How it Travels)
The journey of the footage looks like this:
- Capture: The GoPro captures the scene.
- Bridge: The video is sent via Wi-Fi to the observer’s phone (Hotspot).
- Transit: The phone uploads the data via 5G/LTE using a Custom RTMP URL (a private digital address).
- Vault: The Private Server receives the stream, plays it live for “Base Camp” monitors, and simultaneously writes it to a secure hard drive.
4. Why This Works for Activists and Observers
- Confiscation-Proof: If an officer seizes the camera, they are holding an empty shell. The video is already miles away on a secure server.
- Continuous Oversight: A remote team can watch the feed in real-time. If they see an observer being detained, they can instantly secure the footage and alert legal counsel.
- Low Profile: Once the stream is started in the app, the phone can be locked and put away. The camera runs autonomously as long as the hotspot is active.
That was AI, this is me — my hope is that someone in the resistance with technical know how, will read this article and make this a reality. I envisioned this as a website that offers this footage in Live Stream, as well as recording it for posterity (and the courts). I also imagined Observers, not only wearing this harness, but being clearly identified as an observer with a large label worn across the front and back of this vest/harness with the words “Observer” on it. They would need to have been vetted, and trained on being present to observe without being involved. That’s not a role for everybody. We certainly need plenty of folks involved, but there’s a place for these observers, as well.
If you think this is a good idea, share this with others. I hope eventually it will fall into the hands of someone who can act on it and make this into a reality.
Stay strong, resist peacefully, and keep hope alive!
