Greenpeace may be forced to shut down after jury awards $660 million to pipeline company over defamation lawsuit

Environmental activist group Greenpeace has been ordered by a jury to pay more than $660 million in damages to a pipeline company over a defamation lawsuit.

Energy Transfer, a Dallas-based company, and its subsidiary Dakota Access accused Greenpeace of defamation as well as trespass, nuisance, and civil conspiracy in relation to protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016 and 2017.

'Violent and destructive protest is unlawful and unacceptable.'

The nine-person jury in North Dakota awarded the massive sum on Wednesday after only about two days of deliberations.

The lawsuit accused Greenpeace of paying for protesters to demonstrate against the Dakota Pipeline, but the group said only that it had played a small part in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Greenpeace had previously said that the pipeline company's claimed damages of $300 million would put the group out of business in the U.S. The jury awarded more than twice that sum.

Greenpeace USA senior legal adviser Deepa Padmanabha said that the lawsuit was a threat to free speech rights.

“We should all be concerned about the attacks on our First Amendment, and lawsuits like this that really threaten our rights to peaceful protest and free speech,” said Padmanabha.

On the other hand, Energy Transfer lead attorney Trey Cox claimed the ruling was a victory for free speech.

“Peaceful protest is an inherent American right,” he said. “However, violent and destructive protest is unlawful and unacceptable.”

The environmental group said it would appeal the ruling.

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