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

Vil Poter (Will Potter): Šokantni prelaz u kriminalizaciju nenasilnog protesta

Filmed:
1,127,722 views

2002. godine, novinar istraživač i TED Fellow, Vil Poter, odlučio je da se odmori od svog redovnog života, koji je podrazumevao pisanje o pucnjavama i ubistvima za Čikago Tribjun. Krenuo je da pomogne lokalnoj grupi u kampanji protiv testiranja na životinjama: "Pomislio sam da bi to bio bezbedan način da uradim nešto pozitivno,", kaže on. Umesto toga, uhapsili su ga i krenuo je na svoje neprekidno putovanje u svet u kome je miran protest obeležen kao terorizam.
- 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 lessмање than a yearгодине after SeptemberSeptembra 11,
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Bilo je to manje od godinu dana
nakon 11. septembra,
00:15
and I was at the ChicagoChicago TribuneTribune
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bio sam u Čikago Tribjunu
00:16
writingписање about shootingspucnjava and murdersubistva,
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i pisao sam o pucnjavama i ubistvima,
00:18
and it was leavingодлазак me feelingОсећај
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i ostao mi je prilično
00:20
prettyприлично darkтамно and depressedдепресиван.
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mračan i depresivan osećaj.
Na fakultetu sam se
malo bavio aktivizmom
00:21
I had doneГотово some activismaktivizam in collegeколеџ,
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00:23
so I decidedодлучио to help a localлокално groupгрупа
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pa sam odlučio da pomognem
lokalnoj grupi
00:25
hangвиси doorврата knockerssise againstпротив animalживотиња testingтестирање.
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da okači letke
protiv testiranja životinja na vrata.
00:27
I thought it would be a safeсигурно way
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Mislio sam da bi to bio bezbedan način
00:29
to do something positiveпозитивно,
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da se uradi nešto pozitivno
00:31
but of courseкурс I have the absoluteапсолутно worstнајгоре luckсрећа ever,
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ali sam naravno bio očajne sreće
00:33
and we were all arrestedУхапшен.
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i sve su nas uhapsili.
00:36
PolicePolicija tookузела this blurryзамућен photoфотографија of me
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Policija je napravila
ovu zamagljenu sliku
00:38
holdingдржање leafletsLeci as evidenceдоказ.
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kako držim letke, za dokaz.
00:41
My chargesоптужбе were dismissedVoljno,
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Odbacili su optužbe,
ali nakon nekoliko nedelja,
00:43
but a fewнеколико weeksнедељама laterкасније,
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00:44
two FBIFBI-A agentsагенти knockedударила on my doorврата,
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dva agenta FBI-a su mi pokucala na vrata,
00:46
and they told me that unlessосим ако не I helpedпомогао them
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i rekli su mi da će me staviti
00:48
by spyingšpijuniranje on protestprotest groupsгрупе,
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na liste državnih terostista,
00:50
they would put me on a domesticдомаће terroristterorista listлиста.
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ukoliko im ne pomognem
da špijuniraju protestne grupe.
00:54
I'd love to tell you that I didn't flinchposustaje,
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Voleo bih da kažem da nisam ni trepnuo,
00:56
but I was terrifiedprestravljen,
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ali sam se prepao
00:58
and when my fearбојати се subsidedsmirio,
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i kada je strah nestao,
01:00
I becameпостао obsessedопседнут with findingпроналажење out
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postao sam opsednut time da saznam
01:02
how this happenedдесило,
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kako se ovo desilo,
01:03
how animalживотиња rightsправа and environmentalеколошки activistsактивисти
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kako su prava životinja
i aktivisti za okolinu
01:05
who have never injuredповређено anyoneбило ко
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koji nikada nisu povredili nekog
01:07
could becomeпостати the FBI'sFBI-a numberброј one
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mogli da postanu pretnja broj jedan
01:09
domesticдомаће terrorismтероризам threatпретња.
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FBI-u za domaći terorizam.
01:12
A fewнеколико yearsгодине laterкасније, I was invitedпозвани to testifysvedoči
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Nekoliko godina nakon toga,
zvali su me
01:14
before CongressKongres about my reportingизвештавање,
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da svedočim pred kongresom
o svom izveštaju
01:17
and I told lawmakersZakonodavci that, while everybodyсвима
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i rekao sam zakonodavcima,
da dok svi pričaju o zelenom pokretu,
01:18
is talkingпричају about going greenзелен,
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01:20
some people are riskingrizika theirњихова livesживи
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neki ljudi rizikuju svoje živote
01:21
to defendбранити forestsшуме and to stop oilуље pipelinesцевоводи.
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da odbrane šume i spreče
cevovode za naftu.
01:25
They're physicallyфизички puttingстављање theirњихова bodiesтела on the lineлине
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Fizički stavljaju svoja tela na front
01:27
betweenизмеђу the whalers'Kitolovci' harpoonsharpuna and the whalesкитови.
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između kitova i harpuna kitolovaca.
01:30
These are everydayсваки дан people,
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Ovo su obični ljudi,
01:32
like these protestersDemonstranti in ItalyItalija
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poput protestanata u Italiji
01:34
who spontaneouslyspontano climbedпопео over
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koji su se spontano popeli
01:36
barbedbodljikava wireжица fencesograda to rescueспасавање beaglespasa
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preko bodljikave žice da spase biglove
01:38
from animalживотиња testingтестирање.
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od testiranja na životinjama.
01:41
And these movementsпокрета have been incrediblyневероватно effectiveефикасан
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Ovi pokreti su bili neverovatno efikasni
01:43
and popularпопуларно,
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i popularni,
01:45
so in 1985, theirњихова opponentsпротивника madeмаде up a newново wordреч,
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pa su 1985. njihovi protivnici
smislili novu reč,
01:49
eco-terroristeko-terorista,
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eko-terorista,
01:51
to shiftсмена how we viewпоглед them.
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da promene način na koji
mislimo o njima.
01:53
They just madeмаде it up.
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Samo su izmislili to.
01:55
Now these companiesкомпаније have backedподржани newново lawsЗакони
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Ove kompanije su podržale nove zakone
01:57
like the AnimalŽivotinja EnterpriseEnterprise TerrorismTerorizam ActČin,
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poput Ukaza o terorizmu
nad životinjama u preduzetništvu,
02:00
whichкоја turnsокреће се activismaktivizam into terrorismтероризам
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što pretvara aktivizam u terorizam
02:02
if it causesузроке a lossгубитак of profitsпрофита.
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ako uzrokuje manjak profita.
02:05
Now mostнајвише people never even heardслушао about this lawзакон,
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Većina ljudi nikad nije čula
za ovaj zakon,
02:08
includingукључујући membersчланови of CongressKongres.
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uključujući članove kongresa.
02:10
LessManje than one percentпроценат were in the roomсоба
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Manje od 1% ih je bilo u prostoriji
02:12
when it passedположио the Housekuća.
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kada je izglasan.
02:14
The restодмор were outsideспоља at a newново memorialмемориал.
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Ostatak je bio napolju
kod novog spomenika.
02:17
They were praisingPohvalivši DrDr. KingKralj
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Slavili su dr Kinga
02:19
as his styleстил of activismaktivizam was brandedobilježena as terrorismтероризам
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iako bi njegov stil aktivizma
bio nazvan terorizmom
02:22
if doneГотово in the nameиме of animalsЖивотиње or the environmentЖивотна средина.
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ukoliko bi se radio u ime životinja
ili okruženja.
02:26
SupportersPristalice say lawsЗакони like this are neededпотребно
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Pristalice kažu da su ovakvi zakoni
02:28
for the extremistsекстремисти:
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potrebni za ekstremiste,
02:30
the vandalsvandali, the arsonistspiromane, the radicalsradikali.
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vandale, piromane, radikale.
02:33
But right now, companiesкомпаније like TransCanadaTransCanada
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Ali trenutno kompanije poput TransKanade
02:35
are briefingбрифинг policeполиција in presentationsпрезентације like this one
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upućuju policiju u prezentacijama
poput ove
02:38
about how to prosecutekrivično gonjenje nonviolentnenasilni protestersDemonstranti
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o tome kako tužiti nenasilne protestante
02:41
as terroristsтерористи.
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kao teroriste.
02:43
The FBI'sFBI-a trainingобука documentsдокументи on eco-terrorismEko-terorizam
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Dokumenti FBI-ja za obuku o eko-terorizmu
02:47
are not about violenceнасиље,
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nisu o nasilju
02:48
they're about publicјавно relationsвезе.
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već o odnosima sa javnošću.
02:51
TodayDanas, in multipleвише countriesземље,
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Danas, u više zemalja,
02:53
corporationsкорпорације are pushinggura newново lawsЗакони
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korporacije guraju nove zakone
02:54
that make it illegalилегално to photographфотографија
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kojima se čini ilegalnim fotografisanje
02:56
animalживотиња crueltyокрутност on theirњихова farmsфарме.
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surovosti prema životinjama
na njihovim farmama.
02:59
The latestнајновије was in IdahoIdaho just two weeksнедељама agoпре,
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Najnoviji slučaj je iz Ajdaha
pre samo dve nedelje
03:02
and todayданас we releasedобјављен a lawsuitтужба
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i danas smo podigli optužnicu
03:04
challengingизазован it as unconstitutionalneustavan
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izazivajući to kao neustavan čin
03:05
as a threatпретња to journalismновинарство.
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i pretnju novinarstvu.
03:08
The first of these ag-gagAg-povez prosecutionskrivično gonjenje,
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Prva od ovih tužbi protiv uzbunjivača,
03:10
as they're calledпозвани,
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tako se zovu,
03:12
was a youngмлади womanжена namedназван AmyAmy MeyerMajer,
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bila je protiv Ejmi Mejer,
devojke koja je videla kako bolesnu kravu
03:13
and AmyAmy saw a sickболестан cowкрава beingбиће movedпреселила се
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03:15
by a bulldozerBuldožer outsideспоља of a slaughterhouseklanice
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pomeraju buldožerom van klanice
03:18
as she was on the publicјавно streetулица.
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dok je ona bila na ulici.
03:20
And AmyAmy did what any of us would:
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Ejmi je uradila ono što bi i svako od nas:
03:22
She filmedснимљен it.
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snimila je to.
03:24
When I foundнашао out about her storyприча, I wroteнаписао about it,
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Kad sam saznao za njenu priču,
pisao sam o njoj
03:27
and withinу склопу 24 hoursсати, it createdстворено suchтаква an uproarmetežu
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i za 24 sata prouzrokovala je takvu lavinu
03:30
that the prosecutorsTužioci just droppedпао all the chargesоптужбе.
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da su tužioci odustali od svih optužbi.
03:33
But apparentlyочигледно, even exposingizlaganje stuffствари like that
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Ali izgleda da čak i snimanje
03:35
is a threatпретња.
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predstavlja pretnju.
03:37
ThroughKroz the FreedomSloboda of InformationInformacije ActČin,
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Kroz Ukaz o slobodi informacija,
saznao sam da protivteroristička jedinica
03:39
I learnedнаучио that the counter-terrorismborbu protiv terorizma unitјединица
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03:41
has been monitoringмониторинг my articlesчланци
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posmatra moje članke
03:43
and speechesgovorima like this one.
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i govore poput ovoga.
03:45
They even includedукључени this niceлеп
little write-upispiљeљ of my bookкњига.
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Čak su priložli i ovaj fini izveštaj
o mojoj knjizi.
03:47
They describedописани it as "compellingubedljivo and well-writtenDobro napisano."
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Opisali su je kao
"ubedljivu i dobro napisanu."
03:50
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
03:55
BlurbИlanak on the nextследећи bookкњига, right?
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Za poleđinu sledeće knjige, zar ne?
03:58
The pointтачка of all of this is to make us afraidуплашен,
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Svrha svega ovoga je da se uplašimo,
04:02
but as a journalistновинар, I have an unwaveringnepokolebljiva faithвера
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ali kao novinar, imam nepokolebljivu veru
04:04
in the powerмоћ of educationобразовање.
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u moć obrazovanja.
04:06
Our bestнајбоље weaponоружје is sunlightсунчева светлост.
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Naše najbolje oružje je sunčeva svetlost.
04:09
DostoevskyDostojevski wroteнаписао that the wholeцела work of man
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Dostojevski je napisao
da je ceo smisao čoveka
04:11
is to proveдоказати he's a man and not a pianoклавир keyкључ.
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da dokaže da je čovek, a ne dirka klavira.
04:14
Over and over throughoutтоком historyисторија,
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Kroz čitavu istoriju,
04:16
people in powerмоћ have used fearбојати се
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ljudi na vlasti su koristili strah
04:18
to silenceтишина the truthистина and to silenceтишина dissentneslaganje.
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da zataškaju istinu i utišaju neslaganje.
04:22
It's time we strikeštrajk a newново noteБелешка.
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Vreme je da udarimo novu dirku.
04:24
Thank you.
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Hvala vam.
04:26
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
Translated by Mile Živković
Reviewed by Ivana Korom

▲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