Open Letter to Energy Transfer

Add your name to Greenpeace's open letter against Energy Transfer's meritless $300 million lawsuit!

“We, the undersigned individuals and organizations, formally express our solidarity with Greenpeace against Energy Transfer's meritless $300 million lawsuit.

Peaceful protest and free speech are fundamental human rights that underpin social progress. The Energy Transfer $300 million lawsuit against Greenpeace is an abuse of the legal system and a blatant attempt to silence legitimate work to protect people and our planet.

This lawsuit makes allegations that affect people far beyond Greenpeace. It attempts to rewrite the history of the Indigenous-led opposition movement at Standing Rock – by absurdly alleging that Greenpeace orchestrated the entire resistance. It seeks to hold the Greenpeace organizations in the US and Greenpeace International accountable for actions taken by unaffiliated and unknown individuals. This could have a chilling effect on anyone engaged in peaceful protest and assembly. It also attempts to sue over justified and protected speech, claiming it is “defamation.” This is corporate overreach that is part of a disturbing trend of attacks on advocacy and speech around the world.

We will not allow lawsuits like this one to stop us from advocating for a just, green and peaceful future. On the contrary, we will ensure they have the opposite effect, increasing the support for organizations like Greenpeace and strengthening the broader movement for justice.

This legal attack on Greenpeace is an attack on us all. We will not stand idly by. We will not be bullied. We will not be divided and we will not be silenced.”

About Energy Transfer's $300 Million Lawsuit

The case aims to:

Undermine Indigenous sovereignty at Standing Rock: The case alleges that Greenpeace orchestrated the entire resistance movement at Standing Rock, which is obviously false and seeks to erase the truth of this powerful Indigenous-led movement.

Establish new case law that could hold people and organizations responsible for the actions of unknown individuals if they have any involvement in a protest. The chilling impact this could have on protest in this country would be profound.

Destroy a 50+ year old environmental organization with an incomparable track record of exposing the truth about corporate polluters: Energy Transfer originally sued Greenpeace offices for $900 million using the RICO statute - a legal tool used to prosecute the mob. While RICO charges have been thrown out, the case still seeks $300 million in damages. The aim of this suit is to put us out of business, put a halt to our high impact campaigns, and scare others into silence.

We're not alone. For decades, labor unions, grassroots activists, journalists and other organizations have been hit with similar lawsuits designed to intimidate them just for using their voice. But this might be the biggest attack yet! We won’t let that stop us from all the important work we do. We will not be silenced!

Read more about the case online at https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/6-reasons-why-energy-transfers-lawsuit-against-greenpeace-is-outrageous/