The 4th Amendment Of July – Nationwide Event

Hello everyone, I’m Ashton Woolen from Georgia Cop Block and KnowledgeIsPower.

• Georgia Cop Block – website / Facebook / Twitter / georgiacopblock@gmail.com
• KnowledgeIsPower – Facebook

On the Fourth of July we celebrate freedom, ‘Murica, and things that go ‘boom.’ But also on this day and the weekend of, copuis amounts of checkpoints, speed traps, and other policing will be out in full force. This is the exact opposite of what we are supposed to be celebrating.

We should not have to be stopped and treated guilty until we prove our innocence when we have committed no crime. The plan for the 4th, and the rest of that weekend, is to get every Cop Block, Cop Watch, and other allied groups to get out there, film the police and exercise your rights.

If you just follow this main Cop Block page, check out the list of groups near you that you can contact and hopefully get together. If you do not follow or have any local groups near you, grab some friends and/or family and go out on patrols (or start a group!)

The main target for this event is checkpoints, but in the lucky 11 states that made checkpoints illegal, there are many other goals for the weekend:

• Film yourselves going through checkpoints flexing your rights.
• Have signs and stand down from the chekpoints warning fellow citizens about it.
• Stand along-side checkpoints and film the police happenings.
• Record any traffic stop you see and gather information of it, try to talk to both the LEO and detainee.
• Use signs to warn others of speed traps. Don’t forget: Flashing your headlights is court approved protection under the 1st amendment!
• Walk around and talk with the public, hand out flyers and business cards (You can print some here, or buy some from the Cop Block store.)
• Take pictures in your Cop Block gear or just explain what you are doing and post to social media.
• Download and use the Waze app to mark police, checkpoints, and other road hazards.
• If the means and technology is available, consider utilizing a green beam laser or quadcopter to leverage your presence.
• Share this post, and possibly another made at a closer date.
• Leave a comment to this post, or email me at: georgiacopblock@gmail.com, with additional ideas on how we can have a bigger impact.

We need a big ‘show of force’ out there and have everyone participate. The next step is publicity. Try to upload videos and photos the night of the 4th or early on the 5th. Share with local Cop Block/Watch groups, Submit stories to the Cop Block site, contact local news, media, & radio.

[NOTE: the person or crew who uploads and shares to CopBlock.org/Submit the best video of their Fourth Amendment of July activities, by July 11th, 2014, will receive 75-FRNs worth of their choice of gear (and free shipping) from CopBlock.org/Store]

Over the past few weeks I have contacted every Cop Block/Watch group to get participation for this event. At least half have responded with enthusiastic support. If you are an admin of one of these groups, check the ‘Other’ tab in your message inbox. Facebook notified me that’s where most of them went and you don’t get notifications from that.

Goals for the Weekend

• Practice exercising your rights
• Getting more of the public informed and involved.
• Training LEOs to get used to people exercising their rights
• Publicity and growth of this movement.

As always, be safe and know your limits. Have multiple cameras, and preferably multiple people. Everyone has different feelings and ways they go about their activism, but personally I like to be calm and polite. Kill them with kindness.

I also try to have an actual conversation and get the LEOs thinking like in Pete’s video here, and Adam Kokesh’s here.

Links & Resources

• Cop Blocking 101 http://www.copblock.org/copblocking101
• Know Your Rights: http://www.copblock.org/knowyourrights
• Recording audio consent by state http://www.vegress.com/index.php/can-i-record-calls-in-my-state
• The BEST Video to ever watch about talking to police: http://bit.ly/1dqXqgt
• Flex Your Rights – on Youtube, on Facebook, website
• Honor Your Oath – on Youtube, on Facebook
• Photography Is Not A Crime – on Youtube, on Facebook, website
• Assert Your Rights – on Youtube, website
• ACLU – website

Also there is a great community on Reddit, my favorites being /r/AmIFreeToGo/, /r/restorethefourth/, /r/Bad_Cop_No_Donut/, /r/Good_Cop_Free_Donut, & /r/Police_v_Video/. Follow up with filing Public Records Requests (FOIA) for names, badge numbers, complaint records, dash video/audio and communications.