A North Dakota jury has ordered Greenpeace to pay over $660 million in damages to Energy Transfer, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, finding the radical environmental activist group liable for defamation and other claims related to protests against the pipeline.
Energy Transfer accused Greenpeace of orchestrating unlawful protests and spreading misinformation about the pipeline, which sparked significant public outcry and activism in 2016. Greenpeace contends that it played a minor role in the protests and argues that the ruling poses a serious threat to free speech and the right to peaceful protest.
“We should all be concerned about the attacks on our First Amendment, and lawsuits like this that really threaten our rights to peaceful protest and free speech,” said Greenpeace USA senior legal adviser Deepa Padmanabha.
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In response to the verdict, Greenpeace has announced plans to appeal, while Energy Transfer asserts the ruling is a victory for lawful protest.
“While we are pleased that Greenpeace has been held accountable for their actions against us, this win is really for the people of Mandan and throughout North Dakota who had to live through the daily harassment and disruptions caused by the protesters who were funded and trained by Greenpeace,” the company said in a statement. “It is also a win for all law-abiding Americans who understand the difference between the right to free speech and breaking the law. That the disrupters have been held responsible is a win for all of us.”
“Peaceful protest is an inherent American right,” Energy Transfer lead attorney Trey Cox continued. “However, violent and destructive protest is unlawful and unacceptable.”
“These are the facts, not the fake news of the Greenpeace propaganda machine.”
The case has implications for the legal accountability of organizations involved in protests, raising concerns about potential chilling effects on activism. The jury’s decision is noted to be among the largest awards in a defamation case involving environmental activism.
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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