Protests took place at the Cannonball River, North Dakota|Bryan Boyce|CC BY-SA 2.5
Greenpeace, an environmental NGO, was ordered to pay over $660 million in damages to Energy Transfer, the company behind the Dakota Access pipeline, for allegedly funding protests and spreading misinformation.
The jury’s order stems from a lawsuit filed by the Dallas-based oil and gas company, alleging defamation and orchestrating criminal behavior by protesters at the Dakota Access pipeline in 2016 and 2017. It claimed that the organization incited people to protest by spreading misinformation.
The verdict includes $400 million in punitive damages for defamation, trespassing and civil conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Greenpeace has vowed to appeal, calling the case a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) intended to stifle free speech. If it loses, the NGO may be forced to shut down while trying to pay the damages.