Good advice, but check the local laws first–it's illegal to film cops in my country for example.
Edit: I didn't mean 'don't do it', I meant 'be very careful while you do it'. Also, while technically legal to record them, the law also says that the police can make you stop recording and take your device from you. Then, in practice not in the written law, they will beat you and throw you in jail for a couple days accused of attacking a law enforcement officer (which usually carries charges of terrorism), the judge will find you guilty since police have something called 'presumption of veracity' here (maybe not if your rich enough idk, all the people I've seen in this situation were poor). This is all in an EU country. Stay safe out there, pigs are dangerous everywhere.
It is never illegal to film cops in the US unless you are breaking another law in order to do it (ex: filming their tiny peepee by zooming into their bedroom window). If they are in public or in any private place where you are not trespassing, you can film.
What insane place do you live in that holding a camera constitutes as terrorism?
some other countries have more strict laws; and some states in the US have a documented history of pretending to “care” about rights but “whoops you’re dead.”
Oh believe me, I wasn’t praising the US. I think “burn it down and try again” is becoming a more viable option for political reform every day.
But no country on earth should have a law that can be interpreted in such a way that a citizen can be charged with terrorism for holding a camera. That’s not “more strict,” that’s runaway oppression.
Sorry if I didn't explain correctly. Holding the camera is not considered terrorism. As I said is legal (but sharing the recording is not), but the police can tell you to stop recording and take your device, also legal. Once they're not being recorded, if they beat you up (high probability specially if there's not many people around) they'll justify it by saying you attacked them first, which is the part that can be considered terrorism.
I haven't seen, personally, this happening for recording them, but I have for other things like trying to stand by your rights during a search, intervening when they where harassing someone, asking for their badge number (legally should be visible, and they have to tell you if not. But usually doesn't end up well)... This is Spain, but I've heard stories about the Italian, French, German, many east European countries'... polices and they doesn't seem much better.
America is fucked and what you said happens here too but mostly people get away with filming police as it technically is legal and that's been backed up by courts here. Buuuuut police will try to tell you it's not allowed or could consider it "impeding an investigation" if they want to be dicks. Cops here have virtually unlimited power to do what they want, they show up armed and in numbers so not much one can do to fight back.
But seriously whatever country in the EU you're from that's absolutely wild they would make it illegal to film police in a public space. Well, wild to me maybe not to others.
My dude your privilege is showing. In some places around the world if you see guys dressed like this and start walking towards them you will not be found....
In my town they've been setting up the occasional night time check points to stop everybody entering town and check them to make sure they're "not up to anything bad." Given the slave-owning history of my area, I think the cops are trying to finish the establishment of my county as a Sundown area.