Greenpeace hit with $667M penalty for pipeline protest role
The environmental organization Greenpeace has been judicially ordered to pay nearly 667 million dollars in damages to Energy Transfer, a company specializing in the transport of oil and natural gas via pipelines. The ruling stems from the organization's role, as determined by the court, in protests against the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline.
The court ruling on Wednesday in North Dakota is the result of a lawsuit in which Energy Transfer accused Greenpeace of funding protesters who, during 2016-2017, illegally disrupted the construction of the pipeline, causing material losses, and spreading misinformation about this controversial project located near the Standing Rock reservation.
Greenpeace must pay 667 million dollars
After two days of deliberations, the jury found the organization guilty. The ruling includes damages for defamation, invasion of private property, and participation in a conspiracy. Greenpeace strongly denies the allegations, describing the trial as an attack on freedom of speech. The organization's lawyers announced plans to appeal the verdict.
"We’re an advocacy group. We engage in peaceful protest," emphasized Deepa Padmanabha, a Greenpeace lawyer, in a statement to Reuters. She also added that the organization's role in the demonstrations was minimal.
Energy Transfer attorney Trey Cox argued that the "violent and destructive" protests by Greenpeace do not fall within the scope of legally protected freedom of speech.
"Today, the jury delivered a resounding verdict, declaring Greenpeace’s actions wrong, unlawful, and unacceptable by societal standards. It is a day of reckoning and accountability for Greenpeace," Cox declared.
The construction of the Dakota Access pipeline faced strong opposition from environmental organizations and Native American tribes, who feared that the project would lead to contamination of local water sources and exacerbate climate change. The project, which began in 2016, was completed the following year. The Dakota Access pipeline transports about 40 percent of the oil extracted in the Bakken region of North Dakota.
