“Greenpeace must pay $660 million in damages in Dakota pipeline suit, jury finds”, 20 March 2025

A jury in North Dakota on Wednesday ordered Greenpeace to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in a closely watched lawsuit brought by a US pipeline operator, raising serious free speech concerns.

The verdict delivers a stunning legal blow to the environmental advocacy group, which Energy Transfer (ET) accused of orchestrating violence and defamation during the controversial construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline nearly a decade ago.

ET, which denies any intent to stifle speech, celebrated the verdict. The jury awarded more than $660 million in damages across three Greenpeace entities, citing charges including trespass, nuisance, conspiracy, and deprivation of property access.

"We would like to thank the judge and the jury for the incredible amount of time and effort they dedicated to this trial," the company said…

Greenpeace vowed to appeal the verdict and continue its environmental advocacy…

Greenpeace International is counter-suing ET in the Netherlands, accusing the company of using nuisance lawsuits to suppress dissent. A hearing is set for July 2.

At the heart of the North Dakota case was the Dakota Access Pipeline, where from 2016 to 2017, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe led one of the largest anti-fossil fuel protests in US history.

The demonstrations saw hundreds arrested and injured, drawing the attention of the United Nations, which raised concerns over potential violations of Indigenous sovereignty…

Initially, ET sought $300 million in damages through a federal lawsuit, which was dismissed.

It then shifted its legal strategy to North Dakota's state courts – one of the minority of US states without protections against so-called "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation" or SLAPPs…

Critics call the case a textbook SLAPP, designed to silence dissent and drain financial resources…

Greenpeace maintains that it played only a small and peaceful role in the movement, which was led by Native Americans…