For the past 3-5 years, I’ve documented Hollywood Blvd on Halloween night. The work can be viewed here, here, and here. So of course I’ll be doing the same again this year.

But to help remind the Los Angeles Police Department that I have a right to stand in public space and document police activity without the threat of arrest, or any other kind of interference, I’m finally publishing last year’s videos of their officers doing the following to me:

HARASSING ME

THREATENING ME WITH ARREST

TARGETING ME BECAUSE OF A CAMERA

INTENTIONALLY USING THEIR HANDS TO BLOCK MY CAMERA

INTENTIONALLY USING A FLASHLIGHT TO BLIND MY CAMERA

COMMITTING BATTERY

After watching the following videos, please use twitter to let LAPD know how you feel about their actions.

They can be reached at the following Twitter accounts: @LAPDhq, @911LAPD, @LAPDhollywood, @LAPDHDQTRS and @LAPDChiefBeck

LAPD officer gestures and mumbles not to take pictures:

LAPD officer Kevin Palmer #2204 walks by me, turns around, and stands behind me:

LAPD officers harass and threaten me with arrest while other people without cameras are allowed to move freely. Sergeant Martin #33768 arrives to defend status quo:

LAPD officers intentionally use their hands to block my camera, violating my rights as well as LAPD’s internal policies. Two of  the officers claim they didn’t violate anything:

A couple of LAPD “heroes” power-trip because I wasn’t standing where they wanted me to stand while waiting to cross the street. One of them actually says, “Did you just cross my yellow tape?” Last time I checked, the tape belongs to myself and taxpayers. The mindset of today’s cop (sigh):

LAPD officer #18908 tells me not to take pictures and intentionally uses his flashlight to blind my camera multiple times. Meanwhile, an undercover cop cheap shots me from behind by slamming his body into me. Like a coward, he quietly slithers back into the crowd as though he never committed the crime of battery against me:

Historically speaking, my videos clearly show that LAPD officers weren’t recognizing my rights to freely observe and document police activity. One officer (whom I feel is the most professional officer in Hollywood)  admits that “new officers” just don’t know.

So is LAPD’s tendency to violate my rights a training issue? An officer issue? Or a cultural issue?

Here’s one more from 2012 (which is not the only video from that year showing LAPD harassing me for taking pictures):