Will Potter: The shocking move to criminalize nonviolent protest

譯者: Hans Chiang 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

It was less than a year after September 11,

911事件還沒超過一年的時候，

and I was at the Chicago Tribune

我在芝加哥論壇報

writing about shootings and murders,

寫些關於槍擊和謀殺的事件，

and it was leaving me feeling

而這讓我感到

pretty dark and depressed.

相當黑暗和沮喪。

I had done some activism in college,

在大學時我也曾參與一些社會運動，

so I decided to help a local group

所以我決定幫忙一些在地的團體

hang door knockers against animal testing.

為反對動物測試去敲人家的門。

I thought it would be a safe way

我以為做一些正面的事

to do something positive,

是一種安全的方式，

but of course I have the absolute worst luck ever,

但我實在是運氣極差無比，

and we were all arrested.

然後我們全部被逮捕了。

Police took this blurry photo of me

警察幫我拍了這張模糊的相片，

holding leaflets as evidence.

把傳單當作是證據。

My charges were dismissed,

對我的指控被撤銷了，

but a few weeks later,

但是幾個星期後，

two FBI agents knocked on my door,

兩個聯邦調查局探員來敲我的門，

and they told me that unless I helped them

然後他們告訴我，除非我幫他們

by spying on protest groups,

監控一些異議團體，

they would put me on a domestic terrorist list.

否則他們會把我列入國內恐怖份子名單。

I'd love to tell you that I didn't flinch,

我很想告訴你我沒有退縮，

but I was terrified,

但我實在是嚇壞了，

and when my fear subsided,

當我的恐懼平息後，

I became obsessed with finding out

我變得著迷於找出

how this happened,

這種情況是怎麼發生的。

how animal rights and environmental activists

動物權利和環保人士，

who have never injured anyone

那些從來沒有傷害任何人的人們，

could become the FBI's number one

如何會成為聯邦調查局的

domestic terrorism threat.

頭號國內恐怖主義威脅。

A few years later, I was invited to testify

幾年後，我被邀請去

before Congress about my reporting,

讓國會質詢我的報導，

我告訴議員們，

and I told lawmakers that, while everybody

當每個人都在說嘴生態環保的時候，

is talking about going green,

some people are risking their lives

有些人冒著生命危險

to defend forests and to stop oil pipelines.

去保衛森林，去阻止油管建設。

They're physically putting their bodies on the line

他們把自己身體擋在

between the whalers' harpoons and the whales.

捕鯨船的魚叉和鯨魚之間。

These are everyday people,

這些都是平民百姓，

like these protesters in Italy

像這些義大利的抗議者

who spontaneously climbed over

他們自發地爬過

barbed wire fences to rescue beagles

鐵絲網圍籬去把小獵犬們

from animal testing.

從動物實驗裡救出。

And these movements have been incredibly effective

這些運動十分有效

and popular,

而且受歡迎，

so in 1985, their opponents made up a new word,

所以在1985年， 他們的敵人製造了一個新詞，

eco-terrorist,

環保恐怖份子，

to shift how we view them.

來轉化我們對他們的觀點。

They just made it up.

他們就憑空造出了這個詞。

Now these companies have backed new laws

現在這些公司為一些新法律背書，

like the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act,

像是動物企業恐怖主義法案，

which turns activism into terrorism

只要抗議會造成獲利的減損

if it causes a loss of profits.

就把抗議行動說成恐怖主義。

Now most people never even heard about this law,

現在大部份的人從來沒聽說這個法律，

including members of Congress.

包括國會議員們。

Less than one percent were in the room

當這個法律通過的時候，

when it passed the House.

不到百分之一的議員在會議室裡。

The rest were outside at a new memorial.

其他人在外面一個新的紀念碑前。

They were praising Dr. King

他們在讚美馬丁·路德·金

as his style of activism was branded as terrorism

因為他的行動若出自於 動物或環境保育立場，

if done in the name of animals or the environment.

就會被視為恐怖主義。

Supporters say laws like this are needed

支持者們認為這樣的法律是必須的，

for the extremists:

對於極端份子如：

the vandals, the arsonists, the radicals.

破壞公物者、縱火犯、激進份子。

But right now, companies like TransCanada

但現在，像 TransCanada 一樣的公司

are briefing police in presentations like this one

在對警方簡報一些像這份的報告，

about how to prosecute nonviolent protesters

關於如何指控非暴力抗議份子

as terrorists.

為恐怖份子。

The FBI's training documents on eco-terrorism

聯邦調查局關於環保恐怖份子的訓練文件

are not about violence,

不是關於暴力，

they're about public relations.

而是關於公共關係。

Today, in multiple countries,

今天，在許多國家，

corporations are pushing new laws

財團們正在推動新法律

that make it illegal to photograph

讓拍攝他們農場裡 對動物的殘酷行徑成為非法的。

animal cruelty on their farms.

The latest was in Idaho just two weeks ago,

最近的是兩個星期前在愛達荷州的立法，

and today we released a lawsuit

而今天我們提起了訴訟

challenging it as unconstitutional

提告這樣威脅新聞業的法律是違憲的。

as a threat to journalism.

The first of these ag-gag prosecutions,

第一個農業封口 (ag-gag) 訴訟事件，

as they're called,

這類案件如此被稱呼，

was a young woman named Amy Meyer,

是個叫 Amy Meyer 的年輕女性，

and Amy saw a sick cow being moved

Amy 看到一隻生病的牛，

by a bulldozer outside of a slaughterhouse

被一台推土機移出屠宰場。

as she was on the public street.

她當時正在一條大街上，

And Amy did what any of us would:

Amy 做了我們每個人都會做的事：

She filmed it.

她把這件事拍成了影片。

When I found out about her story, I wrote about it,

我知道了她的故事後寫了篇報導，

and within 24 hours, it created such an uproar

在 24 小時內， 這篇新聞引起了如此騷動，

that the prosecutors just dropped all the charges.

讓提告者撤銷了所有的指控。

But apparently, even exposing stuff like that

但顯然，即使是這樣的披露

is a threat.

也是種威脅。

Through the Freedom of Information Act,

透過資訊自由法，

I learned that the counter-terrorism unit

我了解到反恐單位

has been monitoring my articles

持續監控著我的文章

and speeches like this one.

和演說，像現在也是。

They even included this nice little write-up of my book.

他們還在我的書裡 寫了這樣的小註記：

They described it as "compelling and well-written."

「引人入勝，寫得很好」。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Blurb on the next book, right?

這是下本書的宣傳簡介，對吧？

The point of all of this is to make us afraid,

這一切的目的都是讓我們感到害怕，

but as a journalist, I have an unwavering faith

但身為一個記者，我對教育的力量

in the power of education.

有種堅定不移的信仰。

Our best weapon is sunlight.

我們最好的武器是公開一切在太陽下。

Dostoevsky wrote that the whole work of man

杜思妥也夫斯基寫過，所有人類的作為

is to prove he's a man and not a piano key.

是在證明他是個人而非只是一個琴鍵。

Over and over throughout history,

整個歷史的過程裡，

people in power have used fear

掌權者一而再再而三利用恐懼

to silence the truth and to silence dissent.

把事實和異議消音。

It's time we strike a new note.

現在是我們奏出不同琴聲的時候了。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）