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: La xocant acció de criminalitzar la protesta no-violenta

Filmed:
1,127,722 views

Al 2002, el periodista d'investigació i amic de TED Will Potter va decidir de prendre's un descans de la seva feina regular, escrivint sobre tirotejos i assasinats per al Chicago Tribune. Va anar a ajudar a un grup local que feia campanya en contra de les proves en animals: "Vaig pensar que seria una manera segura de fer alguna cosa positiva", diu. En comptes d'això, va ser detingut, i així va començar el seu viatge dins en un món on la protesta pacífica es ven com a 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.

00:12
It was lessmenys than a yearcurs after SeptemberSetembre 11,
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Feia menys d'un any després de l'11 de setembre,
00:15
and I was at the ChicagoChicago TribuneTribuna
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i jo estava al Chicago Tribune
00:16
writingescrivint about shootingsrodatges and murdersassassinats,
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escrivint sobre assassinats i tirotejos,
00:18
and it was leavingsortint me feelingsensació
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cosa que em deixava
00:20
prettybonic darkfosc and depresseddeprimit.
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fet pols i deprimit.
00:21
I had donefet some activismactivisme in collegeuniversitat,
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Havia fet una mica d'activisme a la universitat,
00:23
so I decidedva decidir to help a locallocal groupgrup
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així que vaig decidir ajudar a un grup local
00:25
hangpenjar doorporta knockersbaldes againsten contra animalanimal testingWikipedia.
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a penjar picaportes en contra de proves de laboratori en animals.
00:27
I thought it would be a safesegur way
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Vaig pensar que seria una manera segura
00:29
to do something positivepositiu,
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de fer una cosa positiva
00:31
but of coursecurs I have the absoluteabsolut worstel pitjor lucksort ever,
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però clarament vaig tenir la pitjor sort
00:33
and we were all arresteddetinguts.
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i ens van detenir a tots.
00:36
PolicePolicia tookva prendre this blurryborrós photoFoto of me
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La policia em va fer aquesta foto borrosa
00:38
holdingtenint leafletsfullets as evidenceevidència.
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subjectant pamflets com a evidència.
00:41
My chargescàrrecs were dismissedacomiadat,
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Els càrrecs en contra meva es van retirar,
00:43
but a fewpocs weekssetmanes latermés tard,
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però setmanes més tard,
00:44
two FBIeL FBI agentsagents knockedcopejat on my doorporta,
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dos agents de l'FBI van trucar a la porta,
00:46
and they told me that unlessa menys que I helpedajudat them
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i em van dir que si no els ajudava
00:48
by spyingespionatge on protestprotesta groupsgrups,
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a espiar als grups de protesta,
00:50
they would put me on a domesticintern terroristterrorista listllista.
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em posarien en una llista de terroristes domèstics.
00:54
I'd love to tell you that I didn't flinchflaquejar,
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M'agradaria poder dir que no vaig encogir,
00:56
but I was terrifiedaterrit,
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però estava atemorit,
00:58
and when my fearpor subsideddisminuït,
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i quan la por em va passar,
01:00
I becamees va convertir obsessedobsessionat with findingtrobar out
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em vaig obsessionar en descobrir
01:02
how this happenedsucceït,
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com tot això havia passat,
01:03
how animalanimal rightsdrets and environmentalambiental activistsactivistes
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com els activistes dels drets animals i de l'entorn
01:05
who have never injuredlesionat anyoneningú
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que mai han fet mal a ningú
01:07
could becomeconvertir-se en the FBI'sDe el FBI numbernúmero one
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podien acabar sent l'amenaça terrorista
01:09
domesticintern terrorismterrorisme threatamenaça.
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domèstica número u de l'FBI.
01:12
A fewpocs yearsanys latermés tard, I was invitedconvidat to testifytestificar
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Uns quants anys més tard, vaig ser convidat a testificar
01:14
before CongressCongrés about my reportinginformes,
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davant del Congrés sobre el que havia reportat,
01:17
and I told lawmakerslegisladors that, while everybodytothom
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i vaig explicar als legisladors que, mentre tothom
01:18
is talkingparlar about going greenverd,
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parla de tornar-nos més verds,
01:20
some people are riskingarriscant theirels seus livesvides
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hi ha gent que arrisca la seva vida
01:21
to defenddefensar forestsboscos and to stop oiloli pipelinescanonades.
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per defensar boscos i aturar oleoductes.
01:25
They're physicallyfísicament puttingposant theirels seus bodiescossos on the linelínia
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Que estàn posant els seus cossos físicament entre
01:27
betweenentre the whalers'dels baleners harpoonsArpons and the whalesbalenes.
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els arpons dels pescadors de balenes i les balenes.
01:30
These are everydaycada dia people,
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Són gent normal,
01:32
like these protestersmanifestants in ItalyItàlia
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com aquests protestants a Itàlia
01:34
who spontaneouslyespontàniament climbedva pujar over
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que van saltar espontàniament
01:36
barbedpues wirefilferro fencestanques to rescuerescatar beaglesBeagles
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tanques de filferro amb pues per rescatar beagles
01:38
from animalanimal testingWikipedia.
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de proves de laboratori.
01:41
And these movementsmoviments have been incrediblyincreïblement effectiveeficaç
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I aquests moviments han estat increïblement efectius
01:43
and popularpopular,
43
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1938
i populars,
01:45
so in 1985, theirels seus opponentsopositors madefet up a newnou wordparaula,
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així que al 1985, els seus oponents van crear una nova paraula,
01:49
eco-terroristEco-terrorista,
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eco-terrorisme,
01:51
to shiftcanvi how we viewveure them.
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per canviar la manera com els veiem.
01:53
They just madefet it up.
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Simplement s'ho van inventar.
01:55
Now these companiesempreses have backedamb respatller newnou lawslleis
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Ara aquestes companyies han donat suport a noves lleis
01:57
like the AnimalAnimal EnterpriseEmpresa TerrorismTerrorisme ActActe,
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com l'Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act,
02:00
whichquin turnsgirs activismactivisme into terrorismterrorisme
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que converteix l'activisme en terrorisme
02:02
if it causescauses a losspèrdua of profitsbeneficis.
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si això causa una pèrdua de beneficis.
02:05
Now mostla majoria people never even heardescoltat about this lawLlei,
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La majoria de gent ni ha sentit a parlar mai d'aquesta llei
02:08
includingincloent membersmembres of CongressCongrés.
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incluïnt membres del Congrés.
02:10
LessMenys than one percentpercentatge were in the roomhabitació
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Menys d'un u per cent es trobava a la sala
02:12
when it passedpassat the HouseCasa.
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quan es va aprovar a la Casa Blanca.
02:14
The restdescans were outsidefora at a newnou memorialmemorial.
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La resta eren fora a un nou acte commemoratiu.
02:17
They were praisinglloant DrDr.. KingRei
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Elogiant al Dr. King
02:19
as his styleestil of activismactivisme was brandedmarca as terrorismterrorisme
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mentre el seu estil d'activisme s'anomena terrorisme
02:22
if donefet in the namenom of animalsanimals or the environmentmedi ambient.
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quan es fa en nom dels animals o del planeta.
02:26
SupportersPartidaris say lawslleis like this are needednecessari
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Els que hi donen suport diuen que lleis com aquesta es necessiten
02:28
for the extremistsextremistes:
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per als extremistes:
02:30
the vandalsvàndals, the arsonistspiròmans, the radicalsradicals.
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els vàndals, els incendiaris, els radicals.
02:33
But right now, companiesempreses like TransCanadaTransCanada
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Però ara mateix, companyies com TransCanada
02:35
are briefingsessió d'informació policepolicia in presentationspresentacions like this one
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reuneixen als policies en presentacions com aquesta
02:38
about how to prosecuteperseguir nonviolentno violenta protestersmanifestants
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per explicar-los com procedir als protestants no-violents.
02:41
as terroriststerroristes.
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com a terroristes.
02:43
The FBI'sDe el FBI trainingentrenament documentsdocuments on eco-terrorismEco-terrorisme
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Els documents d'entrenament del l'FBI en eco-terrorisme
02:47
are not about violenceviolència,
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no van sobre violència,
02:48
they're about publicpúblic relationsrelacions.
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van sobre relacions públiques.
02:51
TodayAvui, in multiplemúltiple countriespaïsos,
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Avui dia, en molts països,
02:53
corporationscorporacions are pushingempenyent newnou lawslleis
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les corporacions empenyen noves lleis
02:54
that make it illegalil·legal to photographfotografia
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que fan que sigui il·legar de fotografiar
02:56
animalanimal crueltycrueltat on theirels seus farmsgranges.
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la crueltat animal en les seves granges.
02:59
The latestel més recent was in IdahoIdaho just two weekssetmanes agofa,
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La última va ser a Idaho fa dues setmanes,
03:02
and todayavui we releasedalliberat a lawsuitdemanda
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i avui hem emès un plet
03:04
challengingdesafiant it as unconstitutionalinconstitucional
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desafiant-la com a inconstitucional
03:05
as a threatamenaça to journalismperiodisme.
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com a amenaça al periodisme.
03:08
The first of these ag-gagAG-gag prosecutionsperquisicions,
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La primera d'aquestes acusacions "ag-gag",
03:10
as they're calledanomenat,
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com les han anomenat,
03:12
was a youngjove womandona namednomenat AmyAmy MeyerMeyer,
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va ser d'una noia que es diu Amy Meyer,
03:13
and AmyAmy saw a sickmalalt cowvaca beingser movedmogut
81
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1613
i l'Amy va veure una vaca malalta moguda
03:15
by a bulldozerbuldòzer outsidefora of a slaughterhouseescorxador
82
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2549
per una esplanadora a fora d'un escorxador
03:18
as she was on the publicpúblic streetcarrer.
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mentre caminava pel carrer.
03:20
And AmyAmy did what any of us would:
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I l'Amy va fer el que qualsevol de nosaltres faria.
03:22
She filmedfilmat it.
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Ho va gravar.
03:24
When I foundtrobat out about her storyhistòria, I wroteva escriure about it,
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Quan vaig descobrir la seva història, vaig escriure sobre ella,
03:27
and withindins 24 hourshores, it createdcreat suchtal an uproarenrenou
87
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i en 24 hores, va crear tant d'escàndol
03:30
that the prosecutorsfiscals just droppedva caure all the chargescàrrecs.
88
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3250
que els fiscals van retirar tots els càrrecs.
03:33
But apparentlypel que sembla, even exposingexposar stuffcoses like that
89
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2018
Però aparentment, fins hi tot posant a la llum fets com aquests
03:35
is a threatamenaça.
90
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és una amenaça.
03:37
ThroughA través de the FreedomLlibertat of InformationInformació ActActe,
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A través de l'Acta de Lliure Informació,
03:39
I learnedaprès that the counter-terrorismlluita contra el terrorisme unitunitat
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vaig aprendre que la unitat anti-terrorista
03:41
has been monitoringseguiment my articlesarticles
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havia estat controlant els meus articles
03:43
and speechesdiscursos like this one.
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i discursos com aquest.
03:45
They even includedinclòs this niceagradable
little write-upreportatge of my bookllibre.
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Fins i tot van incloure aquest petit text sobre el meu llibre.
03:47
They describeddescrit it as "compellingconvincent and well-writtenben escrit."
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El van descriure com a "convincent i ben escrit"
03:50
(ApplauseAplaudiments)
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4721
(Aplaudiments)
03:55
BlurbPropaganda on the nextPròxim bookllibre, right?
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Propaganda per al següent llibre, no?
03:58
The pointpunt of all of this is to make us afraidté por,
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L'objectiu de tot això és fer-nos por,
04:02
but as a journalistperiodista, I have an unwaveringindestructible faithfe
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però com a periodista, tinc una fe ferma
04:04
in the powerpoder of educationeducació.
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en el poder de l'educació.
04:06
Our bestmillor weaponarma is sunlightllum del sol.
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La nostra millor arma és la llum del Sol.
04:09
DostoevskyDostoievski wroteva escriure that the wholetot work of man
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Dostoevsky va escriure que tota la feina de l'home
04:11
is to provedemostrar-ho he's a man and not a pianopiano keyclau.
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és per probar que és un home i no una tecla de piano.
04:14
Over and over throughouttot historyhistòria,
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Una i altra vegada a través de la història,
04:16
people in powerpoder have used fearpor
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les persones en poder han fetr servir la por
04:18
to silencesilenci the truthveritat and to silencesilenci dissentdissidència.
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per silenciar la veritat i per silenciar discomformitat.
04:22
It's time we strikevaga a newnou notenota.
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Ja va sent hora que toquem una altra tecla.
04:24
Thank you.
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Gràcies.
04:26
(ApplauseAplaudiments)
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Translated by Judit Piñol
Reviewed by Oscar Chillon

▲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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