"This is also a victory for all law-abiding Americans who understand the difference between the right to freedom of speech and breaking the law. The fact that the disruptive actors are being held accountable is a victory for us all," says Energy Transfer, the company behind the lawsuit, in a statement, according to The Guardian.
The plans to lay the pipeline near the Sioux reservation Standing Rock in North Dakota sparked large protests in 2016 and 2017.
Critics have called the case a prime example of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) to hinder public debate and drain financial resources.
"It is part of a renewed effort by companies to arm our courts to silence dissenting voices," says Sushma Raman, acting general secretary of Greenpeace USA, in a press release.
Greenpeace claims that they only played a minor role in the protest movement and that it was led by the indigenous people. According to the organization, the damages awarded amount to 660 million dollars, equivalent to 6.7 billion kronor.
Hundreds of thousands of people and over 400 organizations have signed an open letter in support of Greenpeace. It is three different parts of Greenpeace that have been defendants in the lawsuit. At least two of them will appeal the process, the organization tells TT.
