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Greenpeace has been ordered to pay over $660 million in damages to Energy Transfer Partners LP following accusations of defamation made by the Texas-based oil company. These allegations stem from protests against an oil pipeline that occurred nearly a decade ago.
A jury in North Dakota determined that Greenpeace and its U.S. affiliates were liable for defamation, conspiracy, and other related claims due to their participation in protests against the Dakota Access pipeline. The construction of this pipeline, which extends from the western region of North Dakota to southern Illinois, ignited months of demonstrations, leading to confrontations between environmental activists and law enforcement that garnered global attention.
In a statement on its website, Greenpeace announced, “We’re going to appeal. And we’re prepared to fight this all the way to victory,” describing the lawsuit as “meritless.”
Energy Transfer sought financial restitution, arguing that the negative publicity from the protests resulted in losses amounting to “many hundreds of millions of dollars” and hindered its ability to secure funding from capital markets, as stated in a previous complaint.
While the jury did not hold Greenpeace accountable for the actions of the protesters, it did conclude that the organization interfered with Energy Transfer’s business operations, according to a report from the North Dakota Monitor.
