Berkeley, CA — The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) stands in unwavering solidarity with our allies at Greenpeace in the wake of the deeply unjust verdict handed down by a North Dakota, United States jury for more than $600 million in damages against Greenpeace entities—including Greenpeace Inc., Greenpeace Fund, and Greenpeace International—in an outrageous Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP).
This shocking decision is a dangerous escalation in corporate attacks on civil society, aimed at chilling future protests, and silencing those who dare to stand in defense of people and the planet. It also further undermines the sovereignty of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, who has been resisting Energy Transfer’s efforts to force the Dakota Access Pipeline through their land and drinking water supply. Greenpeace, answering the Tribe’s call for solidarity, stood alongside hundreds of Tribes and tens of thousands of water protectors from around the world in nonviolent resistance at Standing Rock.
This verdict does not just target Greenpeace—it is an attack on fundamental rights enshrined in the United States Constitution, including freedom of speech and the right to protest. It is an attack on Indigenous sovereignty. It is an attack on our collective ability to resist environmental destruction and corporate greed.
“GAIA stands unequivocally with Greenpeace, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and all movements fighting for environmental justice and human rights. We will not be silent as corporations attempt to weaponize the legal system to suppress dissent. We call on our allies, supporters, and governments to take a firm stand against SLAPP suits and demand stronger protections for activists and advocates globally,” said Denaya Shorter, Senior Director of GAIA’s US & Canada Region.
This verdict is a troubling reminder of the urgent need to defend democracy, free speech, and the right to a livable planet, in the U.S. and across the globe. Now more than ever, we must stand firm in our commitment to protecting the right to protest and showing unwavering solidarity with those on the frontlines of resistance. No lawsuit can extinguish the power of collective action.
###
GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 1,000 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries. With our work we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. We envision a just, zero waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped.
Press contact:
María Guillén, Communications Coordinator, US/Canada
mariaguillen@no-burn.org