Greenpeace risks shutdown over energy company lawsuit
Greenpeace says a lawsuit from Energy Transfer, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, could shut it down, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
The Texas-based company claims Greenpeace’s protest tactics delayed the pipeline project, which started transporting oil in 2017 after President Trump supported it.
The protests near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation drew thousands, but Greenpeace denies leading them. The organization argues the lawsuit is an attack on free speech and could end its 50 years of environmental activism if it loses.
The trial, starting Monday in North Dakota, is expected to last five weeks. Energy Transfer accuses Greenpeace of organizing a “violent scheme” to harm the company financially and physically disrupt pipeline construction. If Greenpeace loses, it may have to pay about $300 million, which could force it into bankruptcy.
A similar lawsuit was filed in federal court in 2017 under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a law usually used against organized crime. That case was dismissed, but this trial is happening in conservative North Dakota, where Greenpeace fears an unfair trial.
The Dakota Access Pipeline protests gained global attention when Native American groups and allies camped at Standing Rock from April 2016 to February 2017. At their peak, over 10,000 people, including 200 Native American tribes, military veterans, and public figures, joined. The protests ended when authorities forcibly cleared the site. Hundreds were arrested, and law enforcement was accused of using excessive force, including pepper spray, freezing water, and rubber bullets.
Greenpeace says it supported the protests with nonviolent training but did not lead them. The lawsuit names Greenpeace USA, its funding arm in Washington, and its parent organization in Amsterdam. In response, Greenpeace has filed a lawsuit against Energy Transfer in Dutch court, accusing the company of using legal action to silence critics.
It was earlier reported, that Donald Trump had signed an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Meanwhile, the White House criticized USAID for alleged waste and fraud, leading to employees being placed on leave.
