A court in North Dakota has found Greenpeace liable for hundreds of millions of dollars over actions to combat the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The environmental organization will be liable for about $660 million per the verdict readout in court, Greenpeace USA interim Executive Director Sushma Raman said in a statement shared through a spokesperson.
That amount could put Greenpeace at risk of bankruptcy. The group vowed to fight the verdict.
“This is the end of a chapter, but not the end of our fight,” Raman said. “Energy Transfer knows we don’t have $660 million. They want our silence, not our money.”
Energy Transfer, the company behind the pipeline that had accused Greenpeace of defamation and trespass, among other activities, celebrated the decision.
“While we are pleased that Greenpeace has been held accountable for their actions against us, this win is really for the people of Mandan and throughout North Dakota who had to live through the daily harassment and disruptions caused by the protesters who were funded and trained by Greenpeace,” the company said.
“It is also a win for all law-abiding Americans who understand the difference between the right to free speech and breaking the law. That the disrupters have been held responsible is a win for all of us,” the company’s statement continued.
Greenpeace has argued that it only played a small role in the protests, which drew massive crowds that were opposed to the project.
The group has argued that the case was a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation suit and an attempt to silence critics.
“This is a freedom of speech issue. This is a First Amendment case,” Greenpeace spokesperson Madison Carter said in an interview ahead of the verdict.
She expressed concern that a verdict against Greenpeace would “have a chilling effect for any organization that is interested in advocacy.”
