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HUGE NEWS: A group of top civil rights & free speech lawyers are calling for the $345 MILLION verdict against Greenpeace International and Greenpeace in the US to be overturned. Here’s what really happened and why EVERY activist is at risk 🧵

🔎Background: After nearly 10 years of back-to-back SLAPP lawsuits from Big Oil company Energy Transfer, the company got a $345M judgment against Greenpeace entities for supporting the Indigenous-led protests at Standing Rock.

Who is Energy Transfer? They're one of the biggest players in American fossil energy, running roughly 140,000 miles of gas pipeline across 44 states. Founder Kelcy Warren is a major Trump donor and has made no secret of his desire to confront protesters head on.

The jury originally handed down a verdict over $660 million. A judge later reduced it to $345 million.

Lawyers observed the trial and found major red flags:
  🚩 97% of potential jurors said they could not be fair or impartial in the case.  🚩 7 of the 9 seated jurors had direct ties to the oil & gas industry, and none were Indigenous or people of color.

Lawyers observed the trial and found major red flags, continued: 🚩 The judge had improperly blocked Greenpeace entities from presenting their full defences through various decisions. 🚩 Before the trial started, pro-industry mailers went out to local residents, and ET mounted a PR campaign.

The attorneys found the litigation to be a textbook SLAPP:  👉 Strategic  👉 Litigation  👉 Against  👉 Public Participation.  Corporate bullies use expensive lawsuits to silence critics and activists.  Most US states have anti-SLAPP laws. North Dakota does not.

Greenpeace International is fighting back with a lawsuit against ET in the Netherlands, where GPI is based and protections against legal abuse exist.

Greenpeace entities have asked Judge James Gion for a new trial. If he denies it, we'll appeal. Either way, the facts don’t change: independent observers looked closely at this trial, and found it to be a miscarriage of justice.