“Movements for Justice Don’t Back Down”: Oil Change and Standing Rock Grassroots Response to Verdict in Energy Transfer Lawsuit

In response to the meritless verdict in the Energy Transfer SLAPP lawsuit against Greenpeace, Waniya Locke, Standing Rock Grassroots, Wakpala, SD, said:  

“This unjust verdict is an attack on Indigenous communities, clean water, our climate, and everybody’s right to protest. It attempts to erase Indigenous leadership from Standing Rock’s history. But the Standing Rock movement was started by Indigenous women and youth gathered in prayer, eventually uniting thousands in peaceful protest to protect our water. 

“I watched nearly every day of the trial from the courtroom. From the beginning, it was clear that Greenpeace was up against a system biased in favor of fossil fuel interests. This lawsuit was part of a coordinated attack on communities organizing to protect their water and futures from Big Oil. 

“In 2023 alone, North Dakota experienced over 700 pipeline spills. The Missouri River provides drinking water to 10 million people, including my community in Wakpala, just 40 minutes downstream from the Dakota Access Pipeline. We have a sacred obligation to protect water for future generations. We will continue this fight — not just for our tribe, but for everyone who depends on clean water for life itself.” 

Collin Rees, United States Campaign Manager at Oil Change International, said: 

“This verdict is the result of a flawed trial and Big Oil’s anti-democratic efforts to crush dissent against its dangerous, polluting projects. The right to protest and speak truth to power is fundamental to democracy, yet Big Oil bullies are weaponizing the courts to undermine our First Amendment rights. 

“This case isn’t just about Greenpeace — it’s about silencing those who defend land, water, and our collective future, particularly the Indigenous leaders of the Standing Rock protests. History has taught us that movements for justice don’t back down. We will continue to resist and hold corporations accountable because our future depends on it. This movement is bigger than one organization, and we will keep fighting for climate justice alongside Greenpeace, Indigenous leaders, and frontline communities. 

“As Greenpeace has made clear — this verdict is not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter in the fight to protect the right to protest. They will appeal in the United States, and are simultaneously suing Energy Transfer in the Netherlands to recover costs and damages it has suffered as a result of Energy Transfer’s meritless lawsuits attacking free speech and peaceful protest. They are prepared to fight this all the way to victory.”