Greenpeace Pays the Piper

Commentary, James B. Meigs, May Edition of Commentary Magazine.

In March, the pipeline company Energy Transfer won a massive civil suit against the environmental nonprofit Greenpeace. The case dates back to 2016, when as many as 10,000 activists traveled to North Dakota and joined Native American groups trying to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Some of the protesters vandalized equipment, threatened workers, and blocked access roads. Energy Transfer, the pipeline’s owner, lodged a civil suit accusing Greenpeace of secretly directing and funding the most militant activists. The verdict obliges Greenpeace to pay damages of $667 million, a sum that could bankrupt the iconic NGO. But, more important the case shines a light on the long-hidden connections between seemingly mainstream nonprofits and radical protesters who are sowing violence across the country.

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