Greenpeace Ordered To Pay $660-M For Defaming Oil Firm

A North Dakota jury has found Greenpeace liable for defamation, ordering the environmental group to pay more than $660 million (£507 million) in damages to an oil company, BBC News reported.

Greenpeace, which plans to appeal, warned last month that the case could force it into bankruptcy. I Photo: Greenpeace

Texas-based Energy Transfer sued Greenpeace over its role in the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline nearly a decade ago, accusing it of trespassing, nuisance, and civil conspiracy.

The lawsuit claimed Greenpeace orchestrated an "unlawful and violent scheme to cause financial harm" to the company.

Greenpeace, which plans to appeal, warned last month that the case could force it into bankruptcy, ending over 50 years of activism. The group maintains that it did not lead the protests, which were organized by local Indigenous leaders opposing the pipeline.

A nine-person jury reached the verdict after two days of deliberation at a court in Mandan, about 100 miles (160 km) from the protest site. Energy Transfer’s lawyer, Trey Cox, argued that Greenpeace's actions caused between $265 million and $340 million in damages and requested additional punitive damages.