North Dakota Jury Holds Environmental Activists Liable for $660 Million in Relation to Pipeline Protest

A North Dakota jury ruled against Greenpeace on Wednesday, finding the environmental organization liable for defamation, trespassing, and other violations in a lawsuit brought by Energy Transfer, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline. The verdict, totaling approximately $660 million, has sparked criticism from Greenpeace, legal experts, and Indigenous groups.

Greenpeace warns the ruling could force it into bankruptcy, calling it an attack on free speech. Mads Christensen, Greenpeace’s international executive director, accused the Trump administration and its allies of trying to silence climate activists. Many online supporters have condemned the decision, calling it a threat to the right to protest.

The case raises concerns about corporate retaliation against activism. Attorney Steven Donziger called it an “attack on Indigenous peoples, the climate movement, and the right to protest.” The Dakota Access Pipeline spans nearly 1,200 miles, but a section near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation remains controversial. Tribes argue the government failed to consult them properly, and the pipeline threatens water resources and sacred sites.

The 2016 Standing Rock protests, led by the Sioux Tribe, attracted thousands, including Greenpeace activists, to oppose the project. Protesters established long-term camps, turning the standoff into a global movement. Greenpeace calls Energy Transfer’s lawsuit a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), designed to bankrupt activists and suppress dissent. Greenpeace USA’s interim director, Sushma Raman, warned that the decision endangers the right to peaceful protest.

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