North Dakota Jury Orders Greenpeace to Pay Pipeline Company More Than $660 Million
Legal Insurrection readers may recall our 2016 reports on the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, also known as the Standing Rock protests or #NoDAPL, which were supposedly a series of ‘grassroots’ demonstrations led by Native Americans against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in the northern United States.
I termed it “Burning Man of the Midwest,” not only for the poor sanitation but also for the reports that most of the protesters were white and that some demonstrators used racial slurs against black, Hispanic, and American Indian officers.
Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault II, who is leading the protest, raised concerns about sanitation in a Nov. 23 interview with Vice, saying activists are “digging pits out there for their human waste.”“That’s a flood zone,” said Mr. Archambault, referring to camps on federal land along the Cannonball River. “So when the floodwaters come up, that waste is going to be contaminating the water. We’re no different than the oil company, if we’re fighting for water. What’s going to happen when people leave? Who has to clean it up? Who has to refurbish it? It’s going to be us, the people who live here.”
Eventually, the protesters were evicted due to pollution concerns.
Subsequently, Energy Transfer, the pipeline company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, sued Greenpeace over the protests in 2016 and 2017. The pipeline went nuclear on the eco-activist group and targeted three Greenpeace entities: Greenpeace International (based in the Netherlands), Greenpeace USA, and Greenpeace Fund Inc. (the organization’s funding arm).
In the lawsuit, the pipeline company claimed that Greenpeace:
- Orchestrated the protests to stop the pipeline’s construction
- Paid outsiders to join the demonstrations
- Supplied blockade materials
- Organized or led protester training sessions
- Made false statements about the project to impede its progress
Greenpeace countered that the organization’s involvement was minimal.
Everett Jack Jr., the lead lawyer for Greenpeace, gave a detailed timeline to rebut aspects of that account, saying Greenpeace played a minor role in the demonstrations, which drew an estimated 100,000 people to the rural area….He said two staff members had arrived two days after that confrontation, in order to bring a solar truck to provide electricity. Mr. Jack said Greenpeace was committed to nonviolence and got involved not to incite unrest, but rather to help “de-escalate” and provide aid like tents and training. He told the jury there was no evidence to support the contention that Greenpeace was responsible for the protests.
After hearing the arguments, the North Dakota jury sided with Energy Transfer’s case and ordered Greenpeace to pay a staggering $660 million.
A North Dakota jury on Wednesday found Greenpeace liable for millions of dollars in damages to a giant pipeline company in relation to protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline nearly a decade ago.Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners sued Greenpeace for $300 million in 2019, accusing the environmental group of masterminding the protests, spreading misinformation and causing the company financial loss through damaged property and lost revenues.After a three-week trial, the 9-person jury took two days to return their verdict.
Now, it turns out many media types are decrying this verdict, because it is going to chill “future climate advocacy”.
However, “Midwestern Burning Man” was no peaceful protest but a transition state to the domestic-terror style ‘advocacy’ eco-extremists are now targeting Tesla with.
This judgement is being celebrated by “normies” and, hopefully it will actually chill the destruction of private property and violence-based intimidation tactics that have been adopted by Marxists/socialists power-mongers parading as “climate advocates”.
Greenpeace indicates it could be forced into bankruptcy over the verdict.
It appears the only ones who will miss the group are mainstream media and those interested in preserving their climate of political power.
I am looking forward to reporting on the completion of the pipeline.
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