“They are entitled to do that, and we have instructed our officers not to interfere with that right,” Jackson said Saturday. “And really, many members of the public have already been (taking videos of police) with cameras in their phones.”

We Copwatch was founded in 1990. Staff member Jacob Crawford led off Saturday’s training session with a tutorial on the public’s rights during encounters with police.

“Police are allowed to walk up to anyone they like and ask questions,” Crawford said. “Police like consent. They can use your consent in court against you.”

He advised his audience, ranging from children to older adults, to politely ask, “Am I free to go?”

“If the answer is ‘Yes,’ walk away,” Crawford said.

He also advised against consenting to a search — but cautioned that physically interfering with a search probably would not stop one and could lead to arrest.

Crawford, 36, who works as an investigator for a San Francisco law firm, has traveled to cities nationwide where police shootings have fueled protests.

He said police departments commonly lump him in with “outside agitators” bent on stirring up chaos.