Will Potter's Blog, page 5

Here’s What the Feds Were Investigating Before 9/11. And It’s Not Al-Qaeda.

Just three months before the September 11th attacks, U.S. anti-terrorism resources weren’t focused on Al-Qaeda — they were also being spent trying to build a case against environmental activists for “weapons of mass destruction” based on website posts.

New documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms opened an investigation to determine whether Anarchist Cookbook-style booklets posted online violated a law against distributing information related to weapons of mass destruction.

The booklets were posted on EarthLiberationFront.com, which was the public website operated by above-ground supporters of an illegal, underground group called the Earth Liberation Front, or ELF. The ELF uses property destruction, including arson, to inflict economic damage on businesses they say are damaging the environment.

The group has used arson to sabotage logging companies, ski resorts, and genetic engineering research, but they have never injured a human being.

I have reported extensively on how the FBI has classified animal rights and environmental activists as the “number one domestic terrorism threat,” but these documents show for the first time that, in the lead-up to the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history, multiple law enforcement agencies were aggressively trying to prosecute protest groups with no history of bloodshed.

Is Burning a SUV a “WMD”?

The zines, titled “Arson around with Auntie ALF [Animal Liberation Front]” and “Setting Fires With Electrical Timers: An Earth Liberation Front Guide,” are exactly what the names suggest: crude instructions for homemade incendiary devices.

A week after “Setting Fires” was posted in June of 2001, the government opened the investigation and considered whether public ELF spokespersons could face criminal charges.

The documents were released to Leslie James Pickering through the Freedom of Information Act. Pickering was once an ELF spokesperson; now he is living with his family in Buffalo, New York, running a radical bookstore, and frequently speaking at universities. He and his attorney, Michael Kuzma, have been fighting to obtain his 30,000-page FBI file, and an explanation for the government’s continued monitoring of his mail.

The ELF’s underground actions are clearly illegal. The group knows this, and so do it’s aboveground supporters. Pickering says he knew that his public support of illegal tactics years would put him under surveillance, but he was surprised to see what law enforcement was actually considering.

“Firmly against that kind of horror”

“Back in the ’90s I would never have thought they’d be investigating me for something like weapons of mass destruction,” Pickering told me. “I’d never even heard of a WMD until the U.S. invasion of Iraq, years later, and have always been firmly against that kind of horror. If you think about it for even just a moment, you’ll realize that its this government that stockpiles and detonates WMDs, not us.”

Posting this information online is controversial, and it’s not surprising it would create a serious law enforcement investigation. But it’s the same information published in books like the Anarchist Cookbook, which has been lawfully available for years. Amazon lists the books as a “bestseller” and sells the “Starting Fires” booklet as well.

The booklets include instructions for setting fires with the kitchen timers, incense sticks and sponges—not to harm human beings or attack the government, but to sabotage SUVs, logging trucks, and lab equipment used for animal experimentation.

Opening a counter-terrorism investigation like this is “insulting to the countless victims of nuclear weapons and other WMDs,” Pickering says. “Nobody has ever even been hurt by the Earth Liberation Front’s incendiaries. You couldn’t even begin to say that about of the weapons wielded daily by federal agents of the FBI and the ATF.”

 

Here’s What the Feds Were Investigating Before 9/11. And It’s Not Al-Qaeda. from Green Is The New Red

Rise Against Record Store Day Release with Will Potter

Big news! Rise Against is releasing a limited edition 7″ for Record Store Day, with a spoken word track by me, and a song that they say was inspired by Green Is the New Red. I’ll try to play it cool and not be a total fanboy dweeb, but… holy crap. Unreal. Seeing folks I respect and admire go out of their way to do something like this is just incredible.

Here’s more from the press release:

“Our Record Store release for 2015 is a music and spoken word split-seven inch collaboration with Will Potter, author of ‘Green Is the New Red,’” says Rise Against lead singer Tim McIlrath.  “In addition to “The Eco-Terrorist In Me” from our new record The Black Market, this release will include previously unreleased “About Damn Time” from the same sessions. Inspired by author/musician split collaborations like the Bad Religion/Noam Chomsky or Kurt Cobain/William S. Burroughs releases, we teamed up with Will Potter, author of  “Green Is the New Red.” Potter’s book inspired and informed the song “The Eco-Terrorist In Me” and his spoken word contribution “We Will Never Forget,” dives deeper into the fight for animal welfare and increased transparency in the shadowy world of factory farms.”

“If factory farms get their way, you’ll never be able to see photographs like the cover of this Rise Against record,” says author Will Potter.  “Seven states have already passed new ‘ag-gag’ laws that make it illegal to photograph animal cruelty without the farm’s approval, and more states are considering these bills right now. But this is just one part of a much broader campaign by these corporations and the FBI to label non-violent protesters as ‘eco-terrorists.’ Rise Against has always used their platform to shine a light on injustice, and I was thrilled to work with them on this project; treating whistleblowers and activists as “terrorists” puts all of our freedoms at risk.”

The cover photo is from an undercover investigation by Mercy For Animals.

Record Store Day is April 18th. Leading up to it, stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Rise Against!

Rise Against Record Store Day Release with Will Potter from Green Is The New Red

“Activism Is Not Terrorism” t-shirts and hoodies are here!

When most people think of “terrorism,” they think 9/11, anthrax, and suicide bombers. But right now social justice activists are being labeled as terrorists for protesting the Keystone XL pipeline, and photographing factory farms.

Activism is not terrorism. 

These t-shirts are black American Apparel t-shirts, with light ink. Available in either unisex or women’s sizes for $20.

The hoodie versionis a super soft fleece pullover made by Canvas. Black, with light ink. Available in unisex sizes for $35.

Huge thanks to DC activist power couple Justin and Stacy for always supporting Green Is the New Red!

You can pick them up (and also some new sticker designs) at the GreenIsTheNewRed store!

 

 

“Activism Is Not Terrorism” t-shirts and hoodies are here! from Green Is The New Red

Will Potter to Deliver Keynote at Animal Law Symposium at USC

The Animal Legal Defense Fund has invited me to deliver the keynote address at the first symposium of their Los Angeles regional attorney network, at USC Gould School of Law. I’m really looking forward to the event, and seeing everyone in LA! You can still register online today.

Here’s more from the Anima Legal Defense Fund:

Registration for the 2015 ALDF Animal Law Symposium is now open!  Register here.

When:  Saturday, March 28, 2015 from 8:45 AM to 6:00 PM (with networking reception to follow)

Where:  USC Gould School of Law

699 Exposition Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90089

You are cordially invited to attend the first symposium of the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Los Angeles regional attorney network. Law professionals and students can expect an informative daylong CLE focused on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)—aka “factory farms”—and their impacts on animals, humans, and the environment.

Top experts will discuss the legal and grassroots strategies being used to challenge and change the harmful impacts of CAFOs. Speakers include: Carter Dillard, director of litigation at ALDF; Kathy Hessler, clinical director at Lewis & Clark Law School; Paige Tomaselli, senior staff attorney at Center for Food Safety; and Leslie Brueckner, senior attorney at Public Justice, among others. Will Potter, journalist and author of Green is the New Red, and Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat, will deliver keynote addresses.  Full agenda and list of all panelists can be found here.

This symposium is presented by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the USC Gould School of Law Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. Attorneys will be eligible to receive 5.5 CLE credits through the State Bar of California.

Space is limited, so register today!  Early-bird rates available through March 1.

Will Potter to Deliver Keynote at Animal Law Symposium at USC from Green Is The New Red

SOLE Interviews Will Potter About DIY Ethics, Art in a Digital Age, and Civil Unrest

I sat down with the infamous MC SOLE, former Anticon and a million other projects, for his podcast.

From SOLE:

We talk about a ton of shit, from government repression, civil unrest,  the animal rights movement, the precarious nature of being a writer/artist in the digital age, his use of drones to expose the environmental impact of factory farming and much much more.

Here’s a bit of what I had to say:

“We need to remember that all of this is very fluid. And it is going to be a constant—this idea of government and corporate repression will always be there, and there will always be a pushback, and it’s going to fluctuate based on how effective these social movements are… In my work I want to emphasize to people that all these laws and things I’m writing about, I’m highlighting these things because they are things we need to be more quick and strategic in overcoming. They are not the end. They are something we can push through.”

You can check it out on SOLE’s podcast, here.

SOLE Interviews Will Potter About DIY Ethics, Art in a Digital Age, and Civil Unrest from Green Is The New Red

Help Eric McDavid Adjust to His Post-Prison Life, After Being Entrapped by the FBI

Eric McDavid was released after nine years in prison as an “eco-terrorist” after the government acknowledged withholding evidence during his trial. It was a major legal victory, but there’s a long road ahead adjusting to post-prison life.

His supporters have created an online fundraising campaign to help him get on his feet. They say:

This incredible victory occurred because we all refused to give up the struggle to set him free. Thank you to all of you who have supported Eric during these last 9 years. Despite the heavy-handed repression of the state, Eric refused to compromise his politics or his integrity, just as all of us who supported him refused to abandon the struggle to see him free. But the struggle is not over.

Though Eric is no longer held in a prison cell he is faced with the difficult task of rebuilding his life after a lengthy period of incarceration. We are hoping to aid him by raising money so that he can go to school, get a job and begin the process of physical and emotional healing from his time in prison. Below is a list of Eric’s estimated expenses for the next 6 months. Your donations are critical to helping Eric get back on his feet. Thank you for your continued solidarity with Eric in his struggle to survive and thrive in the face of injustice.

I can’t speak to McDavid’s personal experience, but I will say that in my work I have seen far too many people adjust to life after prison, and it is always accompanied by trauma and pain. There is not much we can do to help ease that, because for most of us it’s something we can’t even begin to understand. But what we *can* do is help with these necessities and lighten that burden.

They are asking very little: the campaign goal is only $3,500. Please click here and chip in whatever you can to not only meet by exceed this (perhaps we can double it?).

Help Eric McDavid Adjust to His Post-Prison Life, After Being Entrapped by the FBI from Green Is The New Red

This is what you must remind yourself on the dark days

Global Chorus is a new book with short writings from a long list of thinkers and leaders, including Jane Goodall, Maya Angelou, and Nelson Mandela. There’s also contributions from lesser-known folks like me. I was asked to write about confronting the growing ecological crisis and the political repression that has accompanied it.

Here’s an excerpt:

“I have been struggling to write something about hope and perseverance in this space, because today, like many days, the weight of the challenge ahead of us makes me feel quite dark.

It strikes me, though, that the greatest danger of that darkness is that we always convince ourselves that it is unique to us, and we are experiencing it alone.

Far from it.

Whatever doubts and despair you may feel as you read these passages and engage with the state of our culture and our planet, know this: you are not the only one feeling it. I am here. So are millions more. I say this not so we can take solace in each other’s despair, but because I think there is an untapped power in coming together and acknowledging that we are all, to varying degrees, stumbling along in this fight against dark days.

Our path forward must involve a concrete response to unsustainable lifestyles and an economic system driven by greed, for together they have created a culture of death. In order to do that, we are going to have to remind ourselves and each other of something whenever we feel that darkness begin to creep: We are not alone.”

– Will Potter

You can get the book on Amazon and also from the publisher, Rocky Mountain Books.

[Photo by Garth Lenz]

This is what you must remind yourself on the dark days from Green Is The New Red

Now Booking Speaking Events for the Spring!

I’ve got a full travel schedule this spring but would be happy to try and set up a few more speaking events.

Here’s a bit more from promotional materials:

Will Potter has lectured internationally at more than 200 universities, law schools, and public forums about his work. Speaking engagements have included Yale Law School, the University of Canterbury, the New York City Bar Association, the House of Democracy and Human Rights in Berlin, and many others. He was recently selected as a TED Senior Fellow.

He has guest lectured for university courses on non-fiction writing (Johns Hopkins), constitutional law (University of Denver Sturm College of Law), and national security (Georgetown University).

He is available to speak on a range of topics dealing with social movements, animal rights and environmentalism, “terrorism,” and civil liberties.

Prior lectures have included:

“The War on Terrorism and the First Amendment”
“Hacking, Leaking, and Investigative Journalism in the Age of Secrecy”
“Behind Closed Doors: Ag-Gag Bills, Farm Animals, Food Safety, and the First Amendment”
“State Repression: Past and Present, From the Green Scare to the Continued War on the Black Liberation Movement”
“Manufacturing Terrorism: The FBI’s Surveillance, Harassment, and Production of Domestic Terrorists”

Will is also scheduling events with Jake Conroy of the SHAC 7. On their “From Activist to Terrorist” tour last year, Jake spoke about his personal experiences being sent to prison as a animal rights terrorist, and Will spoke about the broader political climate and how this all happened. Tour stops included Duke, Oberlin, and the University of Oregon, and they have gotten some great response. Check it out and see for yourself!

If you’re interested in coordinating an event, please email Jessie at speaking@willpotter.com

Now Booking Speaking Events for the Spring! from Green Is The New Red

New York State Bar Association #AgGag Lecture Coming Up

I’ve been invited to address the New York State Bar Association at the annual meeting in New York City this week. I’ll be talking about ag-gag laws that restrict consumers’ right to know what factory farms are doing to animals, workers and the environment.

Here’s a bit more:

Gagging a Movement? Understanding “Ag Gag” Laws and How They Affect Free Speech, Privacy Rights and the Protection of Animals.

This program will provide a detailed analysis of the inception of “ag gag” laws. Topics to be covered will include: the enactment and enforcement of “ag gag” laws; constitutional concerns over potential infringement of First and Fourteenth Amendment rights; the criminalizing of historically utilized investigative techniques to expose animal cruelty and the effect on the protection of animals and the animal welfare movement, as well as, environmental pollution and public health; and the struggle between the need to inform consumers and protect animals and the rights of a multi-billion dollar agricultural industry.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m

New York State Bar Association #AgGag Lecture Coming Up from Green Is The New Red

Why We Need Brave Journalists

It’s tempting to view the Charlie Hebdo attacks, or the Iranian blogger sentenced to death, or three Al Jazeera journalists sentenced to 7 years in prison in Egypt, or Getty Images scrambling to make money off of a Japanese journalist held hostage, as “foreign” examples of threats to a free press. But the United States ranks 46th in press freedoms, which I think is a telling reminder that it’s easier to talk about freedom of speech than it is to defend it.

TED has shown its support for journalists under fire by creating a playlist of TED talks called “Why We Need Brave Journalists.” 

It’s a hell of an honor to have my TED talk be included in the group, and I hope you’ll check them all out.

Why We Need Brave Journalists from Green Is The New Red