Flock Cameras Were The Reason 'Darth Vader' Showed Up To This City Council Meeting

Flock cameras are the new AI-powered surveillance cameras that everyone hates, and people are making their voices heard in a variety of ways. Some are tearing down Flock cameras across the US, while others are using a free tool to help avoid Flock cameras. And then there's this one guy who used the power of satire (and the Force) to voice his frustrations.

On August 19, 2026, a man dressed as Darth Vader attended a San Diego public safety committee meeting to discuss his thoughts on Flock cameras. Of course, since the man (real name Roger Ralphs) was dressed as a villain, he played the part, too. His entire speech focused on how much he — and Emperor Palpatine — loves Flock cameras.

Granted, since it's possible to be too subtle, "Darth Vader" emphasized various documented capabilities that people hate about Flock cameras but put a "positive" spin on them. For instance, he was in favor of Flock cameras tracking children traveling to and from parks, playgrounds, gymnasiums, and pools. Why? Because the "Rebel scum" frequent those areas too. Thankfully, judging by the faces of the people behind Darth Vader in the video, the joke didn't go over their heads.

While Flock cameras were Darth Vader's primary target during the meeting, he took plenty of potshots at the people he was addressing. Flock cameras are as much an issue as the people who sign off on their installations despite knowing the dangers they pose. After all, it's not like Flock cameras are sentient and install themselves like parasites. During his allotted time, Vader put members of the San Diego council in the crosshairs, including one, Miss Campbell, criticizing their actions and decisions.

All the while, he doesn't broke character. "Darth Vader" encouraged members of the San Diego council to practice their Jedi mind tricks and distract from the fact that they banned camping. That and the more homeless people the police arrest, the more can be used as "free prison labor" in Otay Mesa Detention Center.

Of course, "Darth Vader" made sure to circle everything back to Flock cameras. Flock cameras will help reveal the location of the hidden Rebel base, but San Diego citizens don't trust the San Diego council because members would rather sign off on invasive Flock cameras than the funds needed to clear storm drains. That, and doing so would also require higher taxes, but maybe the council would have had enough funds for the storm drain cleaning if they hadn't spent the money on Flock cameras. Sometimes the message got a little confused, but for the most part, "Darth Vader" stayed on target.