ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Will Potter - Investigative journalist
Award-winning journalist and author, Will Potter focuses on the animal rights and environmental movements, and civil liberties in the post-9/11 era.

Why you should listen

Independent journalist and TED Fellow Will Potter is based in Washington, D.C.; his current work examines how whistleblowers and non-violent protesters are being treated as terrorists.

The author of Green Is The New Red: An Insider's Account of a Social Movement Under Siege, Potter has extensively documented how non-violent protest is slowly being criminalized. His reporting and commentary have been featured in the world's top media outlets, including the Washington Post, NPR, Rolling Stone, El Pais, and Le Monde. He has testified before the U.S. Congress about his reporting, as the only witness opposing the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act -- and he is a plaintiff in the first lawsuits challenging so-called "ag-gag" laws as unconstitutional.

Will has also lectured at many universities and public forums about his work, including Georgetown University, Harvard Law School, and the House of Democracy and Human Rights in Berlin. International speaking tours have included Germany, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Spain, and he was the international guest lecturer for Australia's 2014 animal law lecture series.

His reporting has overturned criminal prosecutions, and it has both been praised in Congressional reports and monitored by the Counter-Terrorism Unit.

More profile about the speaker
Will Potter | Speaker | TED.com
TED2014

Will Potter: The shocking move to criminalize nonviolent protest

Will Potter: Det chokerende træk at kriminalisere ikke-voldelig protest

Filmed:
1,127,722 views

I 2002 besluttede opsøgende journalist og TED Fellow Will Potter sig for at tage en pause fra sin daglige trummerum - at skrive om skyderier og mord for The Chicago Tribune. Han gik ud for at hjælpe en lokal gruppe der førte kampagne imod dyreforsøg: "Jeg tænkte det ville være en sikker måde at gøre noget positivt," siger han. I stedet blev han arresteret, og således begyndtes hans løbende rejse ind i verden, hvor fredelig protest bliver brændemærket som terrorisme.
- Investigative journalist
Award-winning journalist and author, Will Potter focuses on the animal rights and environmental movements, and civil liberties in the post-9/11 era. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

Det var mindre end et år efter 11. september,
00:12
It was lessmindre than a yearår after SeptemberSeptember 11,
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and I was at the ChicagoChicago TribuneTribune
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og jeg var på The Chicago Tribune,
00:16
writingskrivning about shootingsskyderier and murdersmord,
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hvor jeg skrev om skyderier og mord,
00:18
and it was leavingforlader me feelingfølelse
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og jeg endte med at føle mig
00:20
prettysmuk darkmørk and depresseddeprimeret.
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temmelig mørk og deprimeret.
00:21
I had doneFærdig some activismaktivisme in collegekollegium,
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Jeg havde lavet lidt aktivisme på universitet,
00:23
so I decidedbesluttede to help a locallokal groupgruppe
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så jeg besluttede mig for at hjælpe en lokal gruppe
00:25
hanghænge doordør knockerspatter againstmod animaldyr testingtest.
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med at hænge skilte mod dyreforsøg på dørhåndtag.
00:27
I thought it would be a safesikker way
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Jeg tænkte det ville være en sikker måde
00:29
to do something positivepositiv,
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at gøre noget positivt,
00:31
but of courseRute I have the absoluteabsolut worstværst luckheld ever,
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men jeg har selvfølgelig det værste held nogensinde,
00:33
and we were all arrestedanholdt.
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og vi blev alle arresteret.
00:36
PolicePolitiet tooktog this blurrysløret photoFoto of me
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Politiet tog dette slørede billede af mig,
00:38
holdingbedrift leafletsbrochurer as evidencebeviser.
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mens jeg holdte pjecer som bevis.
00:41
My chargesafgifter were dismissedafskediget,
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Mine sigtelser blev frafaldet,
00:43
but a few weeksuger latersenere,
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men få uger senere
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two FBIFBI agentsmidler knockedbankede on my doordør,
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bankede to FBI agenter på min dør,
00:46
and they told me that unlessmed mindre I helpedhjulpet them
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og de fortalte mig, at medmindre jeg hjalp dem
00:48
by spyingspionage on protestprotest groupsgrupper,
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ved at spionere mod protestgrupper,
00:50
they would put me on a domesticindenlandske terroristterrorist listliste.
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så ville de sætte mig på en indenrigs terroristliste.
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I'd love to tell you that I didn't flinchFlinch,
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Jeg ville elske at fortælle jer, at jeg ikke fortrak en mine,
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but I was terrifiedforskrækket,
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men jeg var rædselsslagen,
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and when my fearfrygt subsidedaftaget,
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og da min frygt aftog,
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I becameblev til obsessedbesat with findingfund out
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blev jeg besat af at finde ud af,
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how this happenedskete,
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hvordan dette var sket,
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how animaldyr rightsrettigheder and environmentalmiljømæssige activistsaktivister
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hvordan dyrevelfærds- og miljøaktivister,
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who have never injuredtilskadekomne anyonenogen som helst
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som aldrig har skadet nogen,
01:07
could becomeblive the FBI'sFBIS numbernummer one
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kunne blive FBIs største
01:09
domesticindenlandske terrorismterrorisme threattrussel.
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indenrigs terrortrussel.
01:12
A few yearsflere år latersenere, I was invitedinviteret to testifyvidne
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Få år senere, blev jeg inviteret til at afgive vidnesbyrd
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before CongressKongressen about my reportingrapportering,
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foran Kongressen om min rapportering,
01:17
and I told lawmakerslovgivere that, while everybodyalle
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og jeg fortalte lovmagerne at, mens alle
01:18
is talkingtaler about going greengrøn,
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taler om at blive grønne,
01:20
some people are riskingrisikere theirderes livesliv
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så er der mennesker som risikere deres liv
01:21
to defendforsvare forestsskove and to stop oilolie pipelinesrørledninger.
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for at forsvare skove og stoppe olierørledninger.
01:25
They're physicallyfysisk puttingsætte theirderes bodiesorganer on the linelinje
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De sætter fysisk deres kroppe på spil
01:27
betweenmellem the whalers'hvalfangere' harpoonsharpuner and the whaleshvaler.
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mellem hvalfangeres harpuner og hvalerne.
01:30
These are everydayhver dag people,
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Dette er dagligdags mennesker,
01:32
like these protestersdemonstranter in ItalyItalien
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som disse demonstranter i Italien
01:34
who spontaneouslyspontant climbedklatrede over
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som spontant klatrede over
01:36
barbedpigtråd wiretråd fenceshegn to rescueredde beaglesBeagles
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pigtrådshegn for at redde beagler
01:38
from animaldyr testingtest.
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fra dyreforsøg.
01:41
And these movementsbevægelser have been incrediblyutroligt effectiveeffektiv
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Og disse bevægelser har været ufatteligt effektive
01:43
and popularpopulær,
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og populære,
01:45
so in 1985, theirderes opponentsmodstandere madelavet up a newny wordord,
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så i 1985 fandt deres modstandere på et nyt ord,
01:49
eco-terroristEco-terror,
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øko-terrorist,
01:51
to shiftflytte how we viewudsigt them.
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for at ændre vores opfattelse af dem.
01:53
They just madelavet it up.
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De fandt simpelthen på det.
01:55
Now these companiesvirksomheder have backedBacked newny lawslove
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Disse selskaber har bakket op omkring nye love,
01:57
like the AnimalDyr EnterpriseEnterprise TerrorismTerrorisme ActAct,
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såsom "The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act",
02:00
whichhvilken turnsdrejninger activismaktivisme into terrorismterrorisme
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som forvandler aktivisme til terrorisme,
02:02
if it causesårsager a losstab of profitsoverskud.
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hvis det skaber et tab af profit.
02:05
Now mostmest people never even heardhørt about this lawlov,
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De fleste mennesker har overhovedet ikke hørt om denne lov,
02:08
includinginklusive membersmedlemmer of CongressKongressen.
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inklusive medlemmer af Kongressen.
02:10
LessMindre than one percentprocent were in the roomværelse
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Mindre end 1% var i lokalet
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when it passedbestået the HouseHus.
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da loven blev godkendt i Huset.
02:14
The resthvile were outsideuden for at a newny memorialmindesmærke.
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Resten var udenfor ved et nyt monument.
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They were praisingRose DrDr. KingKongen
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De lovpriste Dr. King
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as his stylestil of activismaktivisme was brandedmærkevarer as terrorismterrorisme
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mens hans form for aktivisme blev mærket som terrorisme,
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if doneFærdig in the namenavn of animalsdyr or the environmentmiljø.
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hvis den blev udført for dyr eller miljøet.
02:26
SupportersTilhængere say lawslove like this are neededhavde brug for
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Støtter siger love som denne er nødvendige
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for the extremistsekstremister:
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på grund af ekstremisterne:
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the vandalsvandaler, the arsonistsbrandstiftere, the radicalsradikaler.
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vandalerne, brandstifterne, de radikale.
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But right now, companiesvirksomheder like TransCanadaTransCanada
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Men lige nu orienterer selskaber som TransCanada
02:35
are briefingbriefing policepoliti in presentationspræsentationer like this one
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politi ved præsentationer såsom denne
02:38
about how to prosecuteretsforfølge nonviolentikke-voldelige protestersdemonstranter
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omkring, hvordan man retsforfølger ikke-voldelige demonstranter
02:41
as terroriststerrorister.
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som terrorister.
02:43
The FBI'sFBIS traininguddannelse documentsDokumenter on eco-terrorismEco-terror
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FBIs træningsdokumenter omkring øko-terrorisme
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are not about violencevold,
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handler ikke om vold,
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they're about publicoffentlig relationsrelationer.
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de handler om PR.
02:51
TodayI dag, in multiplemange countrieslande,
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I dag, i flere lande,
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corporationsselskaber are pushingat skubbe newny lawslove
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presser virksomheder på for nye love,
02:54
that make it illegalulovlig to photographfotografi
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der gør det ulovligt at fotografere
02:56
animaldyr crueltygrusomhed on theirderes farmsgårde.
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dyremishandling på deres gårde.
02:59
The latestseneste was in IdahoIdaho just two weeksuger agosiden,
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Det seneste foregik i Idaho for bare to uger siden,
03:02
and todayi dag we releasedudgivet a lawsuitretssag
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og i dag indgav vi et søgsmål,
03:04
challengingudfordrende it as unconstitutionalforfatningsstridig
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der udfordrer det som grundlovsstridigt
03:05
as a threattrussel to journalismjournalistik.
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som en trussel mod journalistik.
03:08
The first of these ag-gagAG-gag prosecutionsretsforfølgning,
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Den første af disse ag-gag retsforfølgelser,
03:10
as they're calledhedder,
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som de kaldes,
03:12
was a youngung womankvinde namedsom hedder AmyAmy MeyerMeyer,
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var en ung kvinde ved navn Amy Meyer,
03:13
and AmyAmy saw a sicksyg cowko beingvære movedflyttet
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og Amy så en syg ko blive flyttet
03:15
by a bulldozerbulldozer outsideuden for of a slaughterhouseslagteri
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med en bulldozer udenfor et slagtehus
03:18
as she was on the publicoffentlig streetgade.
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da hun var på den offentlige vej.
03:20
And AmyAmy did what any of us would:
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Og Amy gjorde hvad enhver af os ville have gjort:
03:22
She filmedfilmet it.
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Hun filmede det.
03:24
When I foundfundet out about her storyhistorie, I wroteskrev about it,
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Da jeg hørte om hendes historie skrev jeg om den,
03:27
and withininden for 24 hourstimer, it createdskabt suchsådan an uproartumult
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og indenfor 24 timer havde det skabt sådan et tumult,
03:30
that the prosecutorsanklagere just droppeddroppet all the chargesafgifter.
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at anklagerne simpelthen droppede alle anklager.
03:33
But apparentlytilsyneladende, even exposingudsætte stuffting og sager like that
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Men åbenbart er bare det at afsløre sådanne ting
03:35
is a threattrussel.
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en trussel.
03:37
ThroughGennem the FreedomFrihed of InformationOplysninger ActAct,
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Igennem "The Freedom of Information Act",
03:39
I learnedlærte that the counter-terrorismbekæmpelse af terrorisme unitenhed
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fandt jeg ud af, at kontra-terrorisme enheden
03:41
has been monitoringovervågning my articlesartikler
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har overvåget mine artikler
03:43
and speechesindlæg like this one.
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og taler - som den her.
03:45
They even includedinkluderet this nicepæn
little write-upskrive-up of my bookBestil.
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De inkluderede endda den lille skrivelse om min bog.
03:47
They describedbeskrevet it as "compellingoverbevisende and well-writtenvelskrevet."
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De beskrev den som "fængslende og velskrevet."
03:50
(ApplauseBifald)
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(Bifald)
03:55
BlurbBagsidetekst on the nextNæste bookBestil, right?
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Et citat til den næste bog, ik?
03:58
The pointpunkt of all of this is to make us afraidbange,
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Meningen med alt dette er at gøre os bange,
04:02
but as a journalistjournalist, I have an unwaveringurokkelige faithtro
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men som journalist har jeg en urokkelig tro
04:04
in the powerstrøm of educationuddannelse.
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på uddannelsens kraft.
04:06
Our bestbedst weaponvåben is sunlightsollys.
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Vores bedste våben er solskin.
04:09
DostoevskyDostojevskij wroteskrev that the wholehel work of man
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Dostojevskij skrev, at menneskets hele arbejde
04:11
is to provebevise he's a man and not a pianoklaver keynøgle.
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er at bevise, at han er en mand og ikke blot en klavertangent.
04:14
Over and over throughouthele vejen igennem historyhistorie,
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Igen og igen igennem historien,
04:16
people in powerstrøm have used fearfrygt
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har folk med magt brugt frygt
04:18
to silencestilhed the truthsandhed and to silencestilhed dissentuenighed.
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til at fortie sandheden og fortie uenighed.
04:22
It's time we strikestrejke a newny noteBemærk.
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Det er på tide at ramme en ny node.
04:24
Thank you.
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Mange tak.
04:26
(ApplauseBifald)
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(Bifald)
Translated by Troels Larsen
Reviewed by Anders Finn Jørgensen

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Will Potter - Investigative journalist
Award-winning journalist and author, Will Potter focuses on the animal rights and environmental movements, and civil liberties in the post-9/11 era.

Why you should listen

Independent journalist and TED Fellow Will Potter is based in Washington, D.C.; his current work examines how whistleblowers and non-violent protesters are being treated as terrorists.

The author of Green Is The New Red: An Insider's Account of a Social Movement Under Siege, Potter has extensively documented how non-violent protest is slowly being criminalized. His reporting and commentary have been featured in the world's top media outlets, including the Washington Post, NPR, Rolling Stone, El Pais, and Le Monde. He has testified before the U.S. Congress about his reporting, as the only witness opposing the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act -- and he is a plaintiff in the first lawsuits challenging so-called "ag-gag" laws as unconstitutional.

Will has also lectured at many universities and public forums about his work, including Georgetown University, Harvard Law School, and the House of Democracy and Human Rights in Berlin. International speaking tours have included Germany, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Spain, and he was the international guest lecturer for Australia's 2014 animal law lecture series.

His reporting has overturned criminal prosecutions, and it has both been praised in Congressional reports and monitored by the Counter-Terrorism Unit.

More profile about the speaker
Will Potter | Speaker | TED.com

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