Activists swarm Flock HQ in Atlanta with massive “Flock Out” banner and signs

In a major protest against the surveillance industry, 50+ protesters gathered outside Flock headquarters in Atlanta, GA with a massive banner, signs, and wearing t-shirts that read “Flock Out” to call out the company for its license plate surveillance technology that is being used to amplify racial profiling, surveillance, and police violence. Activists from more than 38 organizations participated, representing perspectives of immigrant, Black and brown, LGBTQ+ and disabled communities. The activists have a simple message: Flock is not welcome in Atlanta, or in any city in America.

Check out photos of the action here: https://fftf.cloud/s/ETjS28LAndTp8de

In the past year the de-Flock movement has rapidly gained ground, in part due to peoples’ understanding that ICE uses Flock data to track and target people. Just last week more than 80 students at Emory held a campus-wide walk out in protest of the Flock cameras on its campus. Nationally, more than 60 cities have moved to terminate or pause their contracts with Flock as the collective risks of mass surveillance to privacy, human rights, civil liberties, reproductive care, and immigrant rights become undeniable and well-documented. For example, documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation showed that police agencies logged hundreds of searches to Flock databases to target protesters including various 50501, No Kings, and Hands Off protests. And thanks to critical reporting from 404Media, ICE agents’ use of Flock’s database for the purpose of immigration-related investigations has been well-documented, as well as its use in prosecuting abortion seekers.

Atlanta is not only home to Flock HQ, but also the location of heavily opposed Cop City and neighbors Dunwoody, GA – where the City Council voted this week to renew its contract with Flock despite overwhelming community push-back and revelations that Flock employees and Dunwoody police had watched hours footage of children in a local gymnasium.

“This protest is about more than license plate readers,” said Leila Nashashibi, organizer of the action at Fight for the Future, (pronouns she/her). “It’s about the collusion between tech companies and repressive government agencies using mass surveillance as a tool for fascism and political persecution. For communities of color like mine – Arab and Muslim communities – it’s been clear from the beginning that surveillance puts us in danger and creates public safety harms. That street surveillance camera could be the reason your friend gets stalked or your neighbor gets pulled over and harassed.”

“Metro Atlanta is tired of being the most surveilled city in the nation, and our movement is growing because communities are demanding better. Public safety does not require surrendering our privacy to private companies who profit from tracking our every move; it requires investing in the community programs that actually reduce crime,” said Taylor Arnold of DeFlock Atlanta.

“We protested at Flock’s offices today because people want the freedom to live without being policed, criminalized, or constantly watched. Our communities deserve real safety rooted in dignity and care, not surveillance by law enforcement and the companies that profit from it. We’re proud to be part of a growing resistance to Flock’s surveillance technologies, standing not just against one corporation and its partnerships with police, but against the broader expansion of surveillance tools that have been used to target migrants, people seeking abortion care, and protesters. We join community members in demanding an end to partnerships with Flock and a commitment to building communities that are free from surveillance and center actual safety for all,” said Danny Cendejas, Campaign Specialist, MediaJustice

“In Orange County, Chispa focuses on economic justice, immigrant justice, and police accountability. Surveillance technologies intersect with each of these areas, often harming everyone in our communities. From Flock camera data sharing with ICE to police drones and algorithmic (AI) pricing tools that raise costs or displace workers, these systems frequently operate without public awareness,” said Tanya Navarro at Chispa OC.

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