A shocking court ruling has ordered Greenpeace USA to pay $660 million in damages for its role in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests nearly a decade ago — an unprecedented and dangerous attack on environmental activism.

The lawsuit, originally filed by pipeline developer Energy Transfer, a Texas-based company worth $64bn, accused Greenpeace of inciting unlawful protests and harming the corporation’s business.

But in reality, Greenpeace and other activists were simply exercising their First Amendment rights—defending land, water, and Indigenous communities.

“This case should alarm everyone, no matter their political inclinations,” said Greenpeace U.S. interim executive director Sushma Raman.

This will bankrupt Greenpeace, if we don't defend it.

This staggering penalty sets a dangerous precedent, threatening not just Greenpeace but any group or individual who dares to stand up against powerful corporations.

A protest in 2016 led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against the Dakota Access Pipeline, in one of the largest anti-fossil fuel protests in US history. Native Americans and their allies opposed the pipeline because it would pass beneath Lake Oahe, a drinking water source and sacred site. Despite the protests, the pipeline, designed to transport fracked crude oil to refineries and on to global markets, became operational in 2017.

We demand that this unjust decision be reconsidered. No organization should be bankrupted for speaking out to protect people and the planet.

Sign the petition now to stand with Greenpeace USA and protect the future of environmental activism!

Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images/AFP