The Northern Dakota jury found the Greenpeace responsibility for defamation, which asked it to pay more than 660 million dollars (507 million pounds) as compensation to the oil company for the role of the environmental group in one of the biggest anti -fuel protests in the history of the United States.
It also accused the transfer of energy in Texas of Greenpeace of infringement, civil conspiracy and civil conspiracy for demonstrations for nearly a decade against the Dakota pipeline.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the state court, argued that Greenpeace was “illegal and violence to cause financial damage to the transfer of energy.”
Greenpeace, who pledged to appeal last month that he could be forced to bankruptcy due to the case, and ends more than 50 years of activity.
The protests against the pipeline were attracted near the Standing Rock Sioux, but Green passion argued that it did not lead the demonstration and that the lawsuit threatened freedom of expression. Instead, he said that the protests led by the local indigenous leaders who opposed the pipeline.
The jury from nine people arrived on Wednesday, about two days after the circulation.
The case was heard in a court in Mandan, about 100 miles (160 km) north, where the protests took place.
Trey Cox, the energy transport lawyer, said during the closing arguments that Greenpeace procedures caused damage between $ 265 million to $ 340 million. The jury was asked to give the company this amount, in addition to additional damage.
The construction of the Access Dakota pipeline gained international attention during President Donald Trump’s first term, as they created original American groups as a camp trying to prevent him from passing near Rock Standz.
The protests, which witnessed violence and sabotage, began in April 2016 and ended in February 2017, when the National Guard and the police removed the demonstrators.
In peak, more than 10,000 protesters were on the site. The group included more than 200 of the original American tribes, hundreds of old military warriors, representatives and political leaders – including the current US Health Minister Robert F. Kennedy Junior.
The 1,172 miles pipeline has been working since 2017. However, it still lacks a major permit to work under the Ohi Lake in South Dakota, and has prompted local tribes to a large -scale environmental review of the project.
During the three -week trial, jury from the co -founder and Energy Kelcy Warren, who said in video deposits that the demonstrators had created a “completely false narration” of his company.
“It is time to respond,” he said.
Energy Transfer Lawyer, Mr. Cox, told the court that Greenpeace took advantage of the Dakota pipeline “to promote his selfish skin.”
Greenpeace’s lawyers have argued that the group did not lead the protests, but only helped support “non -violent and direct training”.
“The transfer of energy has not heard the last of us in this battle.”
“We will not back down, and we will not be silent,” she said.
Karl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia, said he believed that “the size of the ruling will have a chilling effect on ecosystem and other public interest.”
“The litigants in other states may encourage similar lawsuits,” he told the BBC.
It is called the legal procedure to transfer Energy Transfer Greenpece USA, as well as Greenpece Fund Fund Greenpece Fund, based in Washington, DC, and the Mothers Group in Amsterdam, Greenpis International.
Greenpeace has a counter -energy in the Dutch Court, claiming that the oil company is trying to use the legal system unfairly to silence critics.
The lawsuit, which was filed earlier this month, seeks to recover all damage and costs.