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: Šokantan potez kriminaliziranja nenasilnih prosvjeda

Filmed:
1,127,722 views

2002. godine, istraživački novinar i TED Fellow, Will Potter, odlučio je uzeti pauzu od svakodnevnog pisanja o pucnjavama i ubojstvima za Chicago Tribune. Htio je pomoći lokalnoj grupi u kampanji protiv testiranja na životinjama: "Mislio sam da će to biti siguran način za učiniti nešto pozitivno", rekao je. Umjesto toga, završilo je uhićenjem. Tako je započelo njegovo dugo putovanje u svijetu u kojem se mirni prosvjed naziva terorizmom.
- 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 lessmanje than a yeargodina after SeptemberRujna 11,
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Prošlo je manje od godinu dana
nakon 11. rujna,
00:15
and I was at the ChicagoChicago TribuneTribina
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a ja sam radio za Chicago Tribune
00:16
writingpisanje about shootingspucnjave and murdersubojstva,
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pišući o pucnjavama i ubojstvima,
00:18
and it was leavingnapuštanje me feelingosjećaj
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što me činilo
00:20
prettyprilično darkmrak and depresseddepresivno.
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poprilično tužnim i potištenim.
00:21
I had doneučinio some activismaktivizam in collegekoledž,
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U vrijeme studija bavio sam se aktivizmom,
00:23
so I decidedodlučio to help a locallokalne groupskupina
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stoga sam odlučio pomoći lokalnoj grupi
00:25
hangobjesiti doorvrata knockerssise againstprotiv animalživotinja testingtestiranje.
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kačiti na vrata letke protiv
testiranja na životinjama.
00:27
I thought it would be a safesef way
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To se činilo kao siguran način
00:29
to do something positivepozitivan,
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za učiniti nešto pozitivno,
00:31
but of coursenaravno I have the absoluteapsolutan worstnajgori lucksreća ever,
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ali naravno, pošto sam ja
najgori "srećković" ikad,
00:33
and we were all arresteduhićen.
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svi smo bili uhićeni.
00:36
PolicePolicija tookuzeo this blurrymutno photofoto of me
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Policija je kao dokaz
napravila ovu mutnu sliku
00:38
holdingdržanje leafletsletaka as evidencedokaz.
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na kojoj držim letke.
00:41
My chargesnaknade were dismissedodbacio je,
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Optužbe protiv mene su odbačene,
00:43
but a fewnekoliko weeksTjedni laterkasnije,
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ali nekoliko tjedana kasnije,
00:44
two FBIFBI-A agentsagenti knockedpokucao on my doorvrata,
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dvojica FBI agenata su pokucala
na moja vrata
00:46
and they told me that unlessosim ako I helpedpomogao them
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i rekli su da će, ako im ne pomognem
00:48
by spyingšpijuniranje on protestprosvjed groupsgrupe,
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u špijuniranju protestnih grupa
00:50
they would put me on a domesticdomaći terroristterorist listpopis.
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staviti me na listu domaćih terorista.
00:54
I'd love to tell you that I didn't flinchposustaje,
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Volio bih reći da nisam ni trepnuo,
00:56
but I was terrifiedprestrašena,
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ali bio sam prestravljen,
00:58
and when my fearstrah subsidedoslabio,
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i kada je moj strah splasnuo,
01:00
I becamepostao obsessedopsjednut with findingnalaz out
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postao sam opsjednut željom da saznam
01:02
how this happeneddogodilo,
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kako se to dogodilo,
01:03
how animalživotinja rightsprava and environmentalekološki activistsaktivisti
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kako su aktivisti za zaštitu
okoliša i prava životinja
01:05
who have never injuredozlijeđen anyonebilo tko
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koji nikad nikog nisu povrijedili
01:07
could becomepostati the FBI'sFBI numberbroj one
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postali FBI-ova glavna
01:09
domesticdomaći terrorismterorizam threatprijetnja.
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domaća teroristička prijetnja.
01:12
A fewnekoliko yearsgodina laterkasnije, I was invitedpozvan to testifysvjedočiti
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Nekoliko godina kasnije,
pozvan sam da svjedočim
01:14
before CongressKongres about my reportingizvještavanje,
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o svojim izvješćima pred Kongresom,
01:17
and I told lawmakerszakonodavci that, while everybodysvi
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i rekao sam zakonodavcima, da dok
01:18
is talkingkoji govori about going greenzelena,
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svi pričaju o ekološkoj osvještenosti,
01:20
some people are riskingriskirajući theirnjihov livesživot
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neki ljudi riskiraju svoje živote
01:21
to defendbraniti forestsšume and to stop oilulje pipelinescjevovodi.
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kako bi zaštitili šume
i zaustavili naftovode.
01:25
They're physicallytjelesno puttingstavljanje theirnjihov bodiestjelesa on the linecrta
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Stavljaju svoja tijela
na prvu crtu bojišnice
01:27
betweenizmeđu the whalers'Kitolovci' harpoonsharpune and the whaleskitovi.
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između harpuna i kitova.
01:30
These are everydaysvaki dan people,
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To su obični ljudi,
01:32
like these protestersProsvjednici in ItalyItalija
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poput prosvjednika u Italiji
01:34
who spontaneouslyspontano climbedpopeo over
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koji su se spontano popeli preko
01:36
barbedBodljikava wirežica fencesOgrade-drvene rešetke to rescuespasiti beaglesKratkonogi psi
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bodljikave žice da bi spasili biglove
01:38
from animalživotinja testingtestiranje.
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od testiranja na životinjama.
01:41
And these movementspokreti have been incrediblynevjerojatno effectivedjelotvoran
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Ovi pokreti su postali
nevjerojatno učinkoviti
01:43
and popularpopularan,
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i popularni,
01:45
so in 1985, theirnjihov opponentsprotivnici madenapravljen up a newnovi wordriječ,
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pa su 1985, njihovi protivnici
izmislili novu riječ
01:49
eco-terroristeko-terorist,
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"eko-terorist",
01:51
to shiftsmjena how we viewpogled them.
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kako bi ih počeli drugačije promatrati.
01:53
They just madenapravljen it up.
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Oni su riječ jednostavno izmislili.
01:55
Now these companiestvrtke have backedonaj koji ima potporu newnovi lawszakoni
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Ove kompanije su podržale nove zakone
01:57
like the AnimalŽivotinja EnterprisePoduzeće TerrorismTerorizam ActČin,
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kao što je "Suzbijanje terorizma
u stočarskim poduzećima",
02:00
whichkoji turnsokreti activismaktivizam into terrorismterorizam
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koji pretvara aktivizam u terorizam
02:02
if it causesuzroci a lossgubitak of profitsdobit.
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ukoliko uzrokuje gubitak profita.
02:05
Now mostnajviše people never even heardčuo about this lawzakon,
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Mnogi ljudi nikad nisu ni čuli
za ovaj zakon,
02:08
includinguključujući membersčlanovi of CongressKongres.
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uključujući i članove Kongresa.
02:10
LessManje than one percentposto were in the roomsoba
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Manje od 1% nazočilo je usvajanju
02:12
when it passedprošao the Housekuća.
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ovog zakona.
02:14
The restodmor were outsideizvan at a newnovi memorialspomen.
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Ostali su bili na komemoraciji.
02:17
They were praisingHvaleći DrDr. KingKralj
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Slavili su Martina Luthera Kinga
02:19
as his stylestil of activismaktivizam was brandedpotpuno novo as terrorismterorizam
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dok je njegov način aktivizma
označen kao terorizam
02:22
if doneučinio in the nameime of animalsživotinje or the environmentokolina.
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ukoliko se radilo o životinjama
ili okolišu.
02:26
SupportersPristalice say lawszakoni like this are neededpotreban
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Zagovornici kažu da su
ovakvi zakoni potrebni
02:28
for the extremistsekstremisti:
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za borbu protiv ekstremista:
02:30
the vandalsVandali, the arsonistsPiromani, the radicalsradikala.
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vandala, piromana, radikala.
02:33
But right now, companiestvrtke like TransCanadaTransCanada
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Upravo sada, kompanije
kao što je TransCanada,
02:35
are briefinginformiranje policepolicija in presentationsprezentacije like this one
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daju uputstva policiji kroz prezentacije
kao što je ova,
02:38
about how to prosecutekazneni progon nonviolentnenasilnom protestersProsvjednici
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kako procesuirati nenasilne prosvjednike
02:41
as terroriststeroristi.
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kao teroriste.
02:43
The FBI'sFBI trainingtrening documentsdokumenti on eco-terrorismeko-terorizam
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FBI-evi materijali za obuku
o eko-terorizmu
02:47
are not about violencenasilje,
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ne govore o nasilju,
02:48
they're about publicjavnost relationsodnosi.
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nego o odnosima s javnošću.
02:51
TodayDanas, in multiplevišekratnik countrieszemlje,
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Danas, u mnogim zemljama,
02:53
corporationskorporacije are pushingguranje newnovi lawszakoni
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korporacije guraju nove zakone
02:54
that make it illegalnezakonit to photographfotografirati
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koji zabranjuju fotografiranje
02:56
animalživotinja crueltyokrutnost on theirnjihov farmsfarme.
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okrutnosti nad životinjama
na njihovim farmama.
02:59
The latestnajnoviji was in IdahoIdaho just two weeksTjedni agoprije,
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Najnoviji je usvojen u Idahou
prije samo dva tjedna,
03:02
and todaydanas we releasedoslobođen a lawsuitparnica
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i danas smo podnijeli tužbu
03:04
challengingizazovno it as unconstitutionalneustavan
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zbog njegove neustavnosti
03:05
as a threatprijetnja to journalismnovinarstvo.
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i prijetnje novinarstvu.
03:08
The first of these ag-gagAG-geg prosecutionsgonjenja,
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Prvi od tih "ag-gag" progona,
03:10
as they're calledzvao,
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kako su ih nazvali,
03:12
was a youngmladi womanžena namedpod nazivom AmyAmy MeyerMeyer,
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bio je protiv mlade žene,
Amy Meyer.
03:13
and AmyAmy saw a sickbolestan cowkrava beingbiće movedpomaknuto
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Ona je vidjela kako buldožer
03:15
by a bulldozerbuldožer outsideizvan of a slaughterhouseklaonica
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premješta bolesnu kravu izvan klaonice
03:18
as she was on the publicjavnost streetulica.
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dok je bila na javnoj ulici.
03:20
And AmyAmy did what any of us would:
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Amy je učinila ono što bi i svatko od nas:
03:22
She filmedsnimio it.
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snimila je to.
03:24
When I foundpronađeno out about her storypriča, I wrotenapisao about it,
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Kada sam saznao za njenu priču,
pisao sam o tome,
03:27
and withinunutar 24 hourssati, it createdstvorio suchtakav an uproarbuka
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a u roku od 24 sata,
priča je stvorila takvu zbrku
03:30
that the prosecutorsTužitelji just droppedpao all the chargesnaknade.
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da je tužiteljstvo jednostavno
odustalo od svih optužbi.
03:33
But apparentlyočigledno, even exposingizlažu stuffstvari like that
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No, očito i samo otkrivanje
ovakvih stvari
03:35
is a threatprijetnja.
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je rizik.
03:37
ThroughKroz the FreedomSloboda of InformationInformacije ActČin,
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Putem "Zakona o slobodi
pristupa informacijama",
03:39
I learnednaučeno that the counter-terrorismborbu protiv terorizma unitjedinica
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otkrio sam da je antiteroristička jedinica
03:41
has been monitoringnadgledanje my articlesčlanci
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nadgledala moje članke
03:43
and speechesgovora like this one.
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i govore kao što je ovaj.
03:45
They even includeduključen this nicelijepo
little write-uppisati-gore of my bookrezervirati.
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Uključujući i ovu lijepu
recenziju moje knjige.
03:47
They describedopisan it as "compellinguvjerljiv and well-writtendobro napisana."
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Opisujući je kao "uvjerljivu i dobro napisanu".
03:50
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
03:55
BlurbPohvala on the nextSljedeći bookrezervirati, right?
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Blurb za sljedeću knjigu, zar ne?
03:58
The pointtočka of all of this is to make us afraiduplašen,
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Stvar je u tome da nas žele zastrašiti,
04:02
but as a journalistnovinar, I have an unwaveringnepokolebljiva faithvjera
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ali kao novinar, ja čvrsto vjerujem
04:04
in the powervlast of educationobrazovanje.
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u moć obrazovanja.
04:06
Our bestnajbolje weaponoružje is sunlightsunčana svjetlost.
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Naše najbolje oružje je sunčeva svjetlost.
04:09
DostoevskyDostojevski wrotenapisao that the wholečitav work of man
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Dostojevski je napisao
da je čovjekova svrha
04:11
is to provedokazati he's a man and not a pianoklavir keyključ.
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dokazivati da je čovjek, a ne tipka klavira.
04:14
Over and over throughoutkroz historypovijest,
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Iznova i iznova kroz povijest,
04:16
people in powervlast have used fearstrah
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ljudi na vlasti su koristili strah
04:18
to silencetišina the truthistina and to silencetišina dissentneslaganje.
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kako bi ušutkali istinu i neslaganje.
04:22
It's time we strikeštrajk a newnovi noteBilješka.
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Vrijeme je za promjene.
04:24
Thank you.
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Hvala.
04:26
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
Translated by Tea Ilijašević
Reviewed by Ivan Stamenkovic

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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