March 21, 2025 – Break Free From Plastic (BFFP), a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution, strongly condemns the recent ruling by a North Dakota court that found Greenpeace, a member of BFFP, liable for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in favor of Energy Transfer (responsible for the Dakota Access Pipeline project), stressing that the decision represents a blatant attack on environmental defenders, a threat to Indigenous Peoples’ rights and to environmental justice, and a dangerous erosion of the right to free speech and peaceful protest.
The North Dakota court ruling sets a chilling precedent for environmental organizations and activists worldwide, and could silence dissent and intimidate those who courageously advocate for the health of our planet and its people. This lawsuit, part of a broader trend of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), is not about justice but about stifling community opposition to polluting projects and protecting corporate profits at the expense of our future.
Break Free From Plastic stands in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Greenpeace, and all environmental defenders who face intimidation and legal harassment for their work. We call on the international community to recognize this ruling for what it is: an assault on democracy, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, environmental justice, and the fundamental rights of individuals and organizations to speak out peacefully against harmful and polluting practices.
The fight for environmental justice is inseparable from the fight for human rights, and we will not be silenced.
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About BFFP
#BreakFreeFromPlastic (BFFP) is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in 2016, more than 3500 member organizations and 11,000 individual supporters in 186 countries have joined the movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. BFFP member organizations and individuals share the values of environmental protection and social justice and work together through a holistic approach to bring about systemic change. This means tackling plastic pollution across the whole plastics value chain—from extraction to disposal—focusing on prevention rather than cure and providing effective solutions.
