This project, launched in 2018, covers the work of WITNESS and El Grito de Sunset Park — a community organization in Sunset Park, Brooklyn — to find new ways to use eyewitness video and open source data to expose abuses by some NYPD and begin to illustrate how police abuse is part of a larger systemic problem. The project serves as a case study for advocates, journalists, legal experts and technologists interested in exploring new forms of storytelling through the analysis and curation of human rights videos.

You can learn more about our “Profiling the Police” project here. Watch the project’s promotional video below.

Crime & Punishment, winner of Sundance’s special jury award for social impact and executive produced by Laura Poitras, tells the story of the NYPD12, a group of officers suing the department over instituting arrest and summons quotas that target black and brown communities. The film touches on a number of the issues raised in our new Profiling the Police project, including lack of transparency and systemic abuse in the NYPD.

The screening will be followed by a panel conversation featuring Bianca Tylek (Corrections Accountability Project), Albert Saint Jean (Black Alliance for Just Immigration) and Sgt. Edwin Raymond (member of NYPD12). Find more details and RSVP for the event here.

If you can’t make the film on the 23rd, a brief theatrical run begins at the IFC on Aug 24.

Photo: Leandro Justen

Just over a week ago, Marielle and her driver Anderson, were murdered following an impassioned speech Marielle had just given at Rio de Janeiro’s city council where she served as the only black female member.

WITNESS joins the global outpouring of grief and solidarity in the pursuit of justice for Marielle, Anderson and our allies in communities that live with and work to expose impunity of state violence daily. Just days after Marielle was assassinated, we heard from our partners at Coletivo Papo Reto that a 2-year-old boy named Benjamin, along with a woman and a man, had been killed by police bullets during an operation in Complexo do Alemão, a network of favelas in north Rio.  

Photo: Leandro Justen

Marielle and voices from the favelas such as Coletivo Papo Reto actively work to counter harmful narratives about their communities as places that are plagued by drug trafficking and violence. As we heard from Raull Santiago, a founding member of Papo Reto, in September, “the reality in Brazil is that a person is killed several times. First, they are killed by the actual bullet. Then, they are killed by the media narrative, which parrots the police version of events by describing that person as criminals and assassinating their reputation. And finally, they are killed by the legal systems that fail to hold perpetrators accountable.” Video is one of the most powerful tools to fight this impunity– as evidenced by the impact that Papo Reto has accomplished.

A black, lesbian single mother, born and raised in a favela, Franco was a rare face of representation in an overwhelming white and male political landscape. And with two degrees from one of Brazil’s most elite universities and over a decade of experience in politics, she was an undeniably powerful charismatic force in the growing movement to confront the epidemic of violence perpetrated or perpetuated by the state. – The Intercept

Marielle denounced the thousands of police killings that take place in Brazil each year (the last official count for 2016 in Rio de Janeiro alone was 920 people killed by police, but human rights groups say the number is likely higher) and whose victims are a majority black and poor. She was killed, but her voice has not been silenced as the #MariellePresente (Marielle is here) movement continues to grow.

[All photos by Leandro Justen]

That next year, as the importance of eyewitness video was elevated to the national conversation, WITNESS was founded with the mission of equipping communities on the frontlines of abuse with cameras and training to help expose violence and work for justice.

Today, eyewitness videos continue to be at the heart of the global conversation about police violence, and WITNESS remains committed to standing with those working to document and end this abuse. We know that awareness does not always lead to justice. Through our Caught on Camera: Police Violence in the United States project we worked to challenge assumptions about the role of video in attaining accountability for abuse, and point to ways filmers, advocates, journalists, and the justice system can use video effectively for change. And we are partnering with communities from Ferguson to Rio de Janeiro to create multilingual resources to equip people anywhere to document police abuse safely and effectively.

As we mark the 26th anniversary of this brutal incident, and the struggle against police violence continues, we are reminded of the crucial role of eyewitness video as a tool to expose abuse and demand accountability.

In order to prevent online and offline harassment, an increasingly common problem which eyewitnesses who have shared videos have faced, Jackie shared some WITNESS tips on how to share video safely and effectively. This includes going to a reputable media outlet or seeking advice from a legal expert or local activists before releasing any video footage.

Jackie also discussed what eyewitnesses should consider before releasing video footage. Some possible consequences include the eyewitness’ name permanently being associated with the footage, having to participate in legal proceedings, and eyewitness footage being used without his or her permission. Above all else, Jackie cautions eyewitnesses to know their rights when working with media outlets to release video footage, consulting with a legal expert, and to always ask questions along the process.

Featured image via Ted Eytan

Throughout the night we heard from inspiring artists and activists like Baltimore’s Kevin Moore, Black Violin, Sebu Simonian of Capital Cities, I Love Vinyl, Tai Beauchamp and Viacom President and CEO, Philippe Dauman – our 2015 See It. Film It. Change It. honoree. Citizen witness Kevin Moore brought the audience to their feet with his powerful story of documenting the arrest of Freddie Gray in a video that would lead to the indictment of six police officers and bring national attention to the issue of police violence. “We all have the power to stand up against what we know is not fair – and fight for what is just,” he said. “And by hitting record on your phone, you could change or even save a life.”

WITNESS’ Yvette Alberdingk Thijm inspired us with a look into the future as she explained how initiatives like WITNESS Media Lab are using new cutting edge technology to hold human rights perpetrators accountable for abuse. In a changing world, we know WITNESS will continue to bring about justice one video at a time.

The night concluded with a performance from Sebu Simonion of Capital Cities’ hit song, “Safe and Sound” ending the night on a note of optimism about the fight ahead.

Thanks to those who stood with us on November 12th – and who continue to stand up for a just world! We could not continue our mission to expose truth and defend human rights freedoms without your incredible support.

To experience this inspiring night through photos and video check our website and YouTube channel.

Panelists discussed the power of the image and self-representation in deconstructing oppressive structures and empowering peoples of African descent. The panelists included Raull Santiago from Coletivo Papo Reto, Celso Athayde, founder of Central Union of Favelas in Brazil, Macdala Prévot, a Haitian filmmaker and graduate of Ciné Institute, Thomas Allen Harris, an American filmmaker and the director of “Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People”, amongst others.

Raull Santiago, a 26-year old Brazilian activist, spoke about the specific way racism operates in Brazilian favelas and how Rio de Janeiro  marginalizes many of its inhabitants and then often blames them for larger municipal  problems. This, he said, leads to public policies that only address favelas as a public security issue, and never as the vulnerable areas that they are, lacking investments in health care, education and public spaces. “We are not discussing the roots of problems, but we [who live with the results of these problems] are being punished [with militarization], in the worst way possible”, Santiago recounted about the controversial military occupation in the favelas, that was intended to pacify the areas by removing control from the gangs.

“When I was young, I would always hear at school that the blacks were descendants of slaves. But when I became more involved in the movement and the struggle, I learned that that wasn’t the case: blacks are descendants of kings, queens, princes and princesses who arrived enslaved in our country,” said Santiago.

“We are seen as the problem by the ones who don’t live there [in the favelas], but we are creating solutions inside of our communities.” Santiago also spoke about the necessity of allowing space in the social debate for the people from the favela to tell their own stories and denounce violations of their rights.

As Haitian filmmaker Macdala Prévot put it during her speech, “I must be true to myself and show who I am; If I don’t do it, somebody else will do it for me.”

The panel was a part of Papo Reto’s one-week visit to New York, during which they spoke at a panel hosted by WITNESS and moderated by journalist Amy Goodman. They also participated in a debate at the Americas Society with Professor Carl Hart from Columbia University, Rene Silva from Voz da Comunidade and Patricia Marino from Humanitas 360. The Papo Reto representatives also exchanged experiences with We CopWatch, and filmed the police on the streets of New York. To round out the trip they were invited to Brazil Foundation’s Gala, where they spoke about state violence in Brazilian favelas and received an award along with WITNESS for their work in Brazil.

Featured image: Screenshot of recording of Raull Santiago speaking on the UN panel.

PBS News Hour Quote via Hari Sreenivasan on Twitter

PBS NewsHour’s Hari Sreenivasan reports on how the proliferation of camera phones and social media have given new power to documenting wrongdoing. Challenges remain, but our video as evidence program hopes to educate video activists to give their footage the best possible chance that it will be submitted as evidence in courts.

Our training teaches video verification and shares tactics with citizens and justice groups. For example, our basic practices for video as evidence includes how to improve video-making skills and manage video files so citizen witnesses know what to do after they have recorded a video.

Read the transcript from the PBS NewsHour segment here.