Greenpeace Ordered to Pay $660 Million in Landmark Pipeline Lawsuit

A North Dakota jury found Greenpeace liable for defamation and other claims in a case tied to Dakota Access Pipeline protests, raising concerns about free speech and protest rights.

The jury awarded Energy Transfer $660 million in damages, holding Greenpeace USA primarily responsible, with Greenpeace International and Greenpeace Fund Inc. also liable for portions of the sum.
Greenpeace plans to appeal the verdict, calling it a strategic lawsuit designed to silence free speech and peaceful protest against fossil fuel projects.
The case stems from protests led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in 2016-2017, with Greenpeace accused of funding and organizing disruptive activities.
Critics have labeled the lawsuit a SLAPP case, highlighting the lack of anti-SLAPP protections in North Dakota and its potential chilling effect on activism.
Greenpeace has filed a countersuit in the Netherlands under European anti-SLAPP laws, with a hearing scheduled for July 2025.