Central ND News

News columnist Avatans Kumar said the recent $667 million verdict against Greenpeace by a North Dakota jury was due to "compelling evidence" presented by the owners of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) over the 2016-2017 protests against the pipeline.

"Energy Transfer LP provided compelling evidence during a three-week trial that Greenpeace defamed the company and abetted vandals," said Kumar, reported Chicago City Wire. "Its organizers trained protesters and even brought lockboxes they used to chain themselves to construction equipment. Protesters lobbed human feces and burning logs at security officers and vandalized construction equipment."

North Dakota jury's verdict on March 19 found Greenpeace liable for defamation, trespassing, and civil conspiracy related to its protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Energy Transfer LP, the pipeline's operator, claimed that Greenpeace's actions led to significant financial losses and property damage during the 2016-2017 protests.

According to The Times, Energy Transfer LP claimed that Greenpeace's actions led to significant financial losses and property damage during the 2016-2017 protests. AP News reported that the jury awarded nearly $667 million in damages. Greenpeace USA is responsible for approximately $404 million, while Greenpeace Fund Inc. and Greenpeace International are each liable for about $131 million. These damages include compensatory and punitive amounts, reflecting the jury's findings of malicious intent.

The Wall Street Journal also said Energy Transfer LP presented evidence showing that Greenpeace organizers trained and equipped protesters for these activities, contributing to unrest and property damage.

Avatans Kumar is an Indian-American columnist with graduate degrees in Linguistics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also a recipient of the 2021 San Francisco Press Club’s Bay Area Journalism Award.