'Darth Vader' Crashes San Diego Council Meeting to Mock Support for Flock Surveillance Cameras
San Diego activist Anthony Ralphs dressed as Darth Vader to satirically praise the city council's renewal of its Flock Safety surveillance contract, and the video went viral on social media.
At a recent San Diego City Council budget meeting, an unusual speaker took the floor: a man dressed as Darth Vader, delivering a satirical speech praising the council's decision to renew its contract with surveillance company Flock Safety. The video of the appearance has since gone viral, reaching millions of viewers on TikTok and Instagram.
The man behind the costume is Anthony Ralphs, a San Diego-based DJ, event producer, and agriculture consultant who has spent nearly a year campaigning against the city's use of Flock cameras by police. He initially planned to remain anonymous but decided to reveal his identity once the video gained widespread attention.
Why he protested
Ralphs says his activism began after a December council meeting where, despite opposition from more than 300 attendees, the council voted to continue the Flock contract anyway. He was particularly troubled that the city, facing a $120 million budget deficit and cutting arts programs, still allocated $2.2 million for the Flock contract.
He also points to the case of Hugo Parra, a San Diego resident who spent 30 days wrongfully imprisoned after an erroneous license-plate match by Flock's cameras. Parra and a friend are now suing the city for $1.5 million.
Preparing for the role
Ralphs, who studied theater and labor studies, says he attended council meetings regularly for months, trying reasoned arguments that went unheeded before turning to satire. For his costume, he used an original 2004 Hasbro Darth Vader helmet with sound-effect buttons and voiced the character himself.
Ralphs hopes the stunt encourages people to re-engage with civic participation and prompts reflection on whether such surveillance technology is truly necessary, noting that the episode has sparked wider discussion about privacy and mass surveillance in American cities.
