Witnessing in Public: What Democracy Looks Like

This Is What Democracy Looks Like: A Seven-Part Guide to Witnessing in Public Spaces

By Katherine Driskell, MSW, LICSW
Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not represent any organization.

Democracy isn’t only shaped in courtrooms or voting booths.
It’s shaped in everyday places — malls, workplaces, schools, sidewalks, parking lots — where people encounter authority.

Real or impersonated.
Official or “under the color of authority.”

This series grew out of an experience I had at the Mall of America, where filming an interaction led to unexpected consequences. What I learned — and what many communities already live with every day — is that witnessing matters.

Below is the full seven-part guide.

Part 1 — When Someone Is Being Stopped, You Film

I witnessed two law-enforcement-style figures questioning a Black man at the Mall of America. When I began filming, one told him matter-of-factly, “We can’t stop her from filming.”

That was true — and revealing. Illustration of a calm woman holding a phone. The caption reads “This Is What Democracy Looks Like.”

Fifteen minutes later, I was approached by security who had been tracking me with surveillance. They found me in the TSA PreCheck line, where I was preparing to voluntarily submit to a federal background check.

If this is what happens to me — a white woman with every imaginable layer of privilege — what happens to the people who cannot safely speak up, film, or ask questions?

This is why we film. Not for drama — for protection.

Part 2 — Privilege as a Shield, Not a Weapon

Privilege reshapes risk.
If you are white, or perceived as low risk, you can often:

record with a low risk of being handcuffed
stand nearby with a low risk of being accused of interference

That doesn’t make you special.
It makes you responsible.

Privilege should never be a weapon.
We must use it as a shield to protect those with less room to stand safely and visibly.

Part 3 — How to Film Safely and Legally in Minnesota

(Not legal advice — simply practical steps based on public civil liberties resources.)

You always have the right to record public interactions with authority.
To do so safely:

Keep your distance
State the date and location quietly
Hold your phone visibly and steadily
Don’t engage unless someone is in danger
Stay until the interaction ends
Back up your video
Stay calm if questioned
Offer quiet support
You do not need to argue or provide details — you can ask,
“Am I being detained, or am I free to go?”
Leave steadily

Filming is witnessing — not confrontation.

Part 4 — When Privilege Doesn’t Protect You

Despite being told they “couldn’t stop me,” I was followed via surveillance.
The unidentified security employee:

coordinated through an earpiece
used a body-worn camera to photograph me
slow-walked me to create a narrative of “non-cooperation”
trespassed me
photographed my car and license plate

None of this felt like safety.
It felt like control.

If surveillance escalates for someone like me, imagine what it does to those already treated as suspicious by default.

Part 5 — Why Filming Matters When Communities Live With Fear

Across the U.S., people are detained:

on streets
at workplaces
in homes
in schools
in public spaces

Sometimes by police.
Sometimes by ICE.
Sometimes by people impersonating either.

A family I know had a loved one — a naturalized U.S. citizen — detained without charges. It took twelve hours for her family to locate her. Days later, she remained in custody.

Filming creates: