Greenpeace Ordered to Pay $665 Million in Landmark Pipeline Lawsuit

A North Dakota jury found Greenpeace liable for defamation and incitement during protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, with the organization planning to appeal and pursuing legal action in Europe.

A North Dakota jury has ruled that Greenpeace must pay over $665 million in damages to Energy Transfer, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The lawsuit accused Greenpeace of defamation and incitement to violence during protests led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe between 2016 and 2017.
Greenpeace has denounced the case as a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) and announced plans to appeal the decision.
The judgment has raised concerns about its potential to suppress environmental activism and freedom of expression, especially in jurisdictions lacking anti-SLAPP protections.
Greenpeace has also filed a counter-lawsuit in the Netherlands, leveraging European anti-SLAPP laws to challenge what it considers abusive legal tactics by Energy Transfer.