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6mo ago

Greenpeace Faces $300M Lawsuit Over Dakota Access Pipeline Protests

The trial could financially cripple the environmental organization and has significant implications for free speech and protest rights in the U.S.. Energy Transfer

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FILE - Dakota Access pipeline protesters defy law enforcement officers who are trying to force them from a camp on private land in the path of pipeline construction, Oct. 27, 2016, near Cannon Ball, N.D. (AP Photo/James MacPherson, File)
FILE - Protesters against the Dakota Access oil pipeline congregate, Nov. 21, 2016, on a long-closed bridge on a state highway near Cannon Ball., N.D. near their camp in southern North Dakota. (AP Photo/James MacPherson, File)
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Overview

  • Energy Transfer, the operator of the Dakota Access Pipeline, alleges Greenpeace orchestrated defamation, property damage, and violent protests during the pipeline's construction in 2016-2017.
  • Greenpeace denies the claims, arguing that its actions were peaceful, lawful, and protected under the First Amendment, and characterizes the case as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP).
  • The $300 million in damages sought by Energy Transfer is over ten times Greenpeace USA's annual budget, threatening the organization's financial survival if the court rules against it.
  • The trial, taking place in North Dakota, highlights the lack of anti-SLAPP protections in the state and raises concerns about the chilling effect on future protests and activism.
  • Indigenous leaders and activists emphasize that the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe led the resistance against the pipeline, with Greenpeace providing support rather than spearheading the movement.