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G_j

(40,366 posts)
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:20 PM Jun 2014

“The shocking move to criminalize nonviolent protest”

This Is A Must See!!!!

http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/ted-talk-will-potter/7800/

New TED Talk: “The shocking move to criminalize nonviolent protest”
by WILL POTTER on JUNE 11, 2014
in GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES,NEWS,TERRORISM COURT CASES,TERRORISM LEGISLATION

video: http://www.ted.com/talks/will_potter_the_shocking_move_to_criminalize_non_violent_protest

What an incredible opportunity for millions of people to learn about how our rights to protest are under attack. And as ag-gag laws are spreading globally, it couldn’t come at a better time.

I hope you like it, and if you do please share it! Thanks!

http://www.ted.com/talks/will_potter_the_shocking_move_to_criminalize_non_violent_protestt
25 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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“The shocking move to criminalize nonviolent protest” (Original Post) G_j Jun 2014 OP
An interesting and relevant DU thread going on right now. enough Jun 2014 #1
wow, that is some article! Scary stuff.. G_j Jun 2014 #3
Hippies hold signs? charge em with terrorism...Gun nuts wave AR15's at Feds? them's patriots NightWatcher Jun 2014 #2
and one more time, G_j Jun 2014 #8
Charges against Potter were dropped. Charges against Meyer were dropped. struggle4progress Jun 2014 #4
"The power of fear"... an interview with Will Potter. Luminous Animal Jun 2014 #9
I haven't been able to determine the status of the case Potter reports against struggle4progress Jun 2014 #18
Hysterical Over Reaction Drives Some People Fred Friendlier Jun 2014 #10
Could you elaborate a bit? davidthegnome Jun 2014 #11
"we" ?? G_j Jun 2014 #12
:) Bonx Jun 2014 #24
K&R I feel sick. woo me with science Jun 2014 #5
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jun 2014 #6
Fascism. JEB Jun 2014 #7
What are you doing to mitigate fascism? ChisolmTrailDem Jun 2014 #20
I try to speak my mind and resist JEB Jun 2014 #21
Well you're doing what you can do and that's important. Thank you for ChisolmTrailDem Jun 2014 #22
Thank You For Sharing cantbeserious Jun 2014 #13
Frog... Water... Stove On High... WillyT Jun 2014 #14
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." 1000words Jun 2014 #15
unfortunately G_j Jun 2014 #17
, blkmusclmachine Jun 2014 #16
Kick. This is important. woo me with science Jun 2014 #19
And it's being done while "we" are in charge. FiveGoodMen Jun 2014 #23
Fucking over constitutional rights should be unacceptable in a country wherein democratic indepat Jun 2014 #25

enough

(13,237 posts)
1. An interesting and relevant DU thread going on right now.
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:43 PM
Jun 2014

Pentagon preparing for mass civil breakdown

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12529671

About Pentagon use of social sciences to lead the country to accept criminalization of nonviolent activism.

NightWatcher

(39,343 posts)
2. Hippies hold signs? charge em with terrorism...Gun nuts wave AR15's at Feds? them's patriots
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:47 PM
Jun 2014

bookmarking to go back and actually listen to the whole tedtalk later.

struggle4progress

(118,041 posts)
4. Charges against Potter were dropped. Charges against Meyer were dropped.
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 09:05 PM
Jun 2014

Actual quote from the talk:

Through the Freedom of Information Act, I learned that the Counter-Terrorism Unit has been monitoring my articles and speeches like this one. They even included this nice little write-up of my book: they described it as compelling and well-written. The blurb on the next book, right? The point of all this is to make us afraid

So somebody complained they thought Potter was a terrorist. The complaint got sent to some poor schmuck to investigate. Said poor schmuck read the book and filed a memo saying the book was compelling and well-written. Potter made a FOIA request and got the memo sent to him. Potter regards this an effort to make him afraid



Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
9. "The power of fear"... an interview with Will Potter.
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 10:04 PM
Jun 2014

What happened with the FBI?

So I went out leafletting with a group of people. We just passed out pieces of paper in a residential neighborhood about animal testing. I thought that was the most I could do as a working journalist — something so benign. And of course, since I have the worst luck ever, we were all arrested and charged. It was the only time I’ve been arrested. Those charges were later thrown out, of course. It was a frivolous arrest. And it’s still lawful to pass out handbills.

A couple weeks later, I was visited by two FBI agents at my home, who told me that unless I helped them by becoming an informant and investigating protest groups, they would put me on a domestic terrorist list. They also made some threats about making sure I wouldn’t receive a Fulbright I had applied for, and making sure my girlfriend at the time wouldn’t receive her PhD funding.

....

Did they bother you after that?

Well, you know, it’s one of those things. It made me realize the power of fear. Because in a situation like that, you don’t know what actually is happening or will happen. There’s no way to find out. Certainly just a few months after 9/11 when this happened, but even today, with the extent of the government’s counterterrorism powers and how they’re being used. So when they talk about making sure I don’t receive a Fulbright, I didn’t receive it, but is that just because I’m not smart enough? Was it because my application wasn’t good enough? I don’t know. It’s impossible to know these things.

Years later, after my book came out, we did a Freedom of Information Act request. I found out that the counterterrorism unit has been monitoring my speeches and book and website.


http://blog.ted.com/2014/01/31/will-potter-on-of-treating-environmentalists-like-terrorists/

struggle4progress

(118,041 posts)
18. I haven't been able to determine the status of the case Potter reports against
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 12:01 AM
Jun 2014

Stefan Warner and Moriah Stephenson

In December, he reported that When they got to jail, they found out they were being charged with a "terrorism hoax," a state felony punishable by up to ten years in prison

But it was reported in January that No charges have been filed against the protesters in Oklahoma County District Court, but Stephenson and Warner were issued citations for disorderly contact and trespassing in Oklahoma City municipal court

You link an interview from April in which Potter repeats the claim that Stephenson and Warner are being prosecuted right now for a terrorism hoax. I'd think the case would be attracting more attention now, if Potter's claim were true, but I haven't located any recent story on the case

Details like this actually matter


 

Fred Friendlier

(81 posts)
10. Hysterical Over Reaction Drives Some People
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 10:08 PM
Jun 2014

They leap at the slightest pretext to get overwrought, evidently under the impression that this proves them to be Great Leftists.

I find it all embarrassing and I wish we had a better class of activists, more intelligent and more dedicated to effective action to advance the cause.

davidthegnome

(2,983 posts)
11. Could you elaborate a bit?
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 10:20 PM
Jun 2014

Are you suggesting that the man in the video is overreacting to something? Or that he isn't a very intelligent, dedicated, or effective activist? Or are you just making a complaint about activism in general?

I don't think a visit from the FBI is something you can really overreact to, if that's what you mean.

 

JEB

(4,748 posts)
21. I try to speak my mind and resist
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 10:40 AM
Jun 2014

the myriad distractions set out to keep us proles in line. I buy very little and what i do need to buy, I buy used if possible. I try to be informed on issues and I vote, but am concerned that often this has less effect than it should. I struggle for a living as most people do.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
19. Kick. This is important.
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 09:36 AM
Jun 2014

This is the murder of our Constitution. This is totalitarianism being constructed around us.

indepat

(20,899 posts)
25. Fucking over constitutional rights should be unacceptable in a country wherein democratic
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 06:48 PM
Jun 2014

values are incessantly flaunted before the world.

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