A 77-year-old man in Florida has found a simple way to protest against the use of Flock cameras without damaging them. A video of Carl Gunn, a senior citizen in St. Petersburg who is concerned about the surveillance state, has gone viral on social media for how he is preventing these controversial cameras from working properly.
Senior citizen protests controversial Flock cameras without destroying them
Footage of Gunn sitting in a chair next to a Flock camera and blocking it by using a tall sign has been shared widely on X (formerly Twitter) and other social media platforms.
The video taker shows his approval for the man’s cause by filming police officers who had come to interrogate him over his protest and saying that he would bail him out if the man was taken to jail.
According to a piece in Tampa Bay Creative Loafing, Gunn was concerned for his privacy after learning that Flock cameras were operated by a private company that takes license plate information from passing cars and creates a massive database that tracks them. That’s when he decided to take a long pool skimmer, tape a sign to it that reads “DOWN WITH FLOCK CAMERAS,” and use it to block their view.
“This is just another thing to take our information and to spy on us,” he said. “I’m a law-abiding citizen, and I don’t need anyone sticking their nose in my business.”
While his protest was inspired by others who had damaged the cameras, he wanted to find a nondestructive way to prevent them from operating properly.
The outlet reports that Gunn was questioned by officers for around 15 minutes before they drove off. He was later supported by a stranger who brought him a shade umbrella and a cold soda, while other drivers honked their horns and gave him snacks.
Flock cameras have been in use in St. Petersburg since 2022, and roughly 50 of them have been installed in the city, per Fox 13. Police say these automatic license plate readers allow law enforcement to more easily compare them to hot lists in nationwide databases.
