Mandan, North Dakota — Ten years after the world watched the Indigenous-led protests on the Dakota Entry Pipeline unfold, representatives from Greenpeace Worldwide (GPI) and two Greenpeace entities in the USA arrive at a Morton County courthouse to battle a meritless lawsuit introduced by Vitality Switch (ET), in the present day.
The trial is at present open to the general public within the North Dakota courthouse. A number of makes an attempt by media and watchdog teams to petition the court docket for larger transparency and accessibility to the trial proceedings have been denied. The Greenpeace events’ request for public livestreaming was denied, and a request for expanded media cowl by various retailers and journalists was additionally not too long ago denied.
The US-based fossil gasoline pipeline firm behind the Dakota Entry Pipeline is looking for US$300 million in damages in one of many world’s most brazen examples of a Strategic Lawsuit In opposition to Public Participation (SLAPP). ET’s lawsuit makes an attempt to rewrite the historical past of the Indigenous-led protest at Standing Rock and will have a chilling influence on free speech within the US and past. Since 2017, GPI and Greenpeace organisations within the US have been defending towards ET’s lawsuits[1], which ridiculously declare the protests had been orchestrated by Greenpeace.
Deepa Padmanabha, Senior Authorized Advisor, Greenpeace USA mentioned: “Past the influence that this lawsuit may have on the Greenpeace entities, one of the crucial worrisome issues concerning the case is that it may set up harmful new authorized precedents that would maintain any participant at protests chargeable for the actions of others at these protests. And you may think about that this is able to have a severe chilling impact on anyone who desires to interact in protest.”
Kristin Casper, Common Counsel, Greenpeace Worldwide mentioned: “We’re assured Greenpeace Worldwide, together with our co-defendants within the US, will finally prevail. We are going to defend Greenpeace Worldwide at trial, whereas additionally pursuing efforts to get well the prices incurred because of ET’s SLAPP fits within the US via authorized proceedings within the Netherlands. We’re grateful for the assist we’re receiving from world wide, as a result of when the motion acts collectively, we win.”
GPI initiated the primary check of the European Union’s anti-SLAPP Directive by submitting a lawsuit in Dutch court docket towards ET earlier this month. GPI seeks to get well all damages and prices it has suffered because of ET’s back-to-back, meritless lawsuits demanding a whole bunch of thousands and thousands of {dollars} towards GPI and the Greenpeace organisations within the US.[2]
Vitality Switch’s lawsuits are clear-cut examples of SLAPPs.[3] ET’s lawsuits have been an try and bury nonprofits and activists in authorized charges, push them in the direction of chapter and finally silence dissent.
ENDS
Notes:
1. ET’s first lawsuit was filed in federal court docket beneath the RICO Act – the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a US federal statute designed to prosecute mob exercise. The case was dismissed, with the choose stating the proof fell “far brief” of what was wanted to determine a RICO enterprise. The federal court docket didn’t resolve the defamation or conspiracy claims so ET promptly filed a brand new case in a North Dakota state court docket with these and different state legislation claims
3. A report by the Coalition In opposition to SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) documented 1049 SLAPP fits in Europe within the interval 2010-2023, with 166 lawsuits initiated in 2023. Massive Oil firms Shell, Complete, and ENI have additionally filed SLAPPs towards Greenpeace entities in recent times, with makes an attempt at silencing ending in embarrassment for Shell and Complete.
Contacts:
Laura Bergamo, Communications Campaigner, Greenpeace Canada
[email protected] ; +1 438 928-5237
Greenpeace Worldwide Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (accessible 24 hours), [email protected]
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