An Auditor Filmed Inside a Council Building, Got Confronted by Police, and Refused to Back Down — X Is Split on Who Was Right

A video shared to X by @AntiFeminismAU shows a New South Wales female police officer confronting a man who identified himself as an independent journalist filming inside a council building.

The man in the video is Alex, who operates the TikTok and YouTube channel Collaborative Observation, an Australian auditor who films staff inside public facilities such as libraries and council offices.

The video begins with Alex asking the officer for her name and badge number. She identified herself as Senior Constable Isles from Maroubra Police.

"We don't have any badge numbers," she said. "No, I'll give you my name, which is Senior Constable Isles from Maroubra Police. That's all I have to give you."

Alex pushed back, suggesting that providing an employee number was professional and polite practice. The officer declined without explanation.

Senior Constable Isles then told Alex why police had been called. "There was information given to us that you've been intimidating the staff by recording them," she said. Alex denied the accusation. "That's false," he said. "I'm a journalist. I'm doing a story."

The officer then asked whether Alex would show her footage he had recorded inside the building. He declined. "Unless I'm threatened with arrest or something like that, no, I'm not doing that," he said.

"This is a council property," he said. "It's the people's building. So it's publicly owned. I pay for it through my taxes." He said he has been in publicly accessible areas, filming peacefully, and said their accusation of intimidation was false.

No charges against Alex were confirmed in available information.

The replies did not engage with the legal questions, but questioned the independent journalist. "I'm a journalist, I'm doing a story on the building,'" one commenter joked. "He should get a t-shirt that says this."

Another reply took offense at Alex's behavior toward the officer. "Harassing female police officers for kicks," the commenter wrote. "Wtf would you want to know about the building? I'm pretty sure you don't pay enough taxes for her wages mate!"

According to Lawpath, filming public buildings and public officials, including police, is typically allowed in Australia, provided there are no specific signs or legal restrictions in place. Certain public spaces, including government buildings, may have restrictions on filming for security or legal reasons.

One commenter challenged Alex's "I pay your wages" line. "I'm guessing this guy has never paid a penny in taxes," the commenter wrote. "Most likely a lifelong dole bludger."

As of publication, the full video referenced in the clip was also available on YouTube. Neither Alex nor NSW Police had issued a public statement on the incident.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify all details described in this video. The details above reflect the account as shared on X by @AntiFeminismAU. The identity of Alex beyond his Collaborative Observation channel, the specific council building involved, and the outcome of the police interaction have not been confirmed.