DOCUMENTATION PROTOCOLS
The documentation lead should be briefed and equipped before the day of the protest, and the whole coordination team should understand the protocols in advance. Designate a deputy who can take over the documentation role if the lead is detained or separated from the group, and make sure that person is equally briefed.
Choose and test your tools: Download and test a documentation app before the protest. Confirm that automatic backup is working and that the backup location is secure and accessible to more than one person. The WITNESS Media Lab and Amnesty International’s Citizen Evidence Lab provide guidance on choosing and using documentation tools safely and effectively.
Agree on what to document: Define in advance what counts as a documentable incident, such as use of force, unlawful orders, arrests, injuries, threats and surveillance. The documentation lead should not have to make this judgement in real time under pressure.
Establish your backup and storage system: Decide where footage will be stored, who can access it and how it will be transferred securely after the protest. Strip metadata from files before storing or sharing them to avoid exposing participants’ locations or device information. Agree on file naming conventions so that records can be organised and cross-referenced easily.
Decide what will be shared publicly, and when: Raw footage should not be posted publicly before your legal team has reviewed it. Agree in advance on who makes the decision to release material and through which channels.
