Overview

• The jury awarded $660 million in damages to Energy Transfer, accusing Greenpeace of defamation, trespass, and conspiracy related to the 2016-2017 Dakota Access Pipeline protests.
• Greenpeace plans to appeal the verdict, calling it a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) aimed at silencing dissent and peaceful protest.
• The lawsuit alleged that Greenpeace funded and organized protests, while Greenpeace maintained its role was limited and in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
• Critics have raised concerns about the fairness of the trial, citing jurors' ties to the fossil fuel industry and North Dakota's lack of anti-SLAPP protections.
• The protests, led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, were among the largest anti-fossil fuel movements in U.S. history and highlighted issues of Indigenous sovereignty and environmental risks.