A former Greenpeace employee and Native activist testified in Morton County District Court that he never engaged in underhanded efforts to undermine the Dakota Access Pipeline. The trial, which has been ongoing for two weeks, revolves around Greenpeace’s involvement in protests against the pipeline in 2016 and 2017 near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota.
The pipeline developer, Energy Transfer, claims that Greenpeace encouraged protesters to cause damages to the pipeline and defamed the company to get banks to divest. Energy Transfer has focused on the actions of the former employee and trainer, alleging that they taught protesters tactics of vandalism, trespassing, and intimidation. However, the former employee maintains that he emphasized nonviolence during training sessions and followed the leadership of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
The trial also discussed the use of lockbox devices by protesters to tie themselves to construction equipment, with Energy Transfer highlighting the alleged involvement of Greenpeace employees. The former employee denied instructing anyone to use lockboxes and emphasized that individuals made their own decisions.
Greenpeace began presenting its case in court, with the defense indicating that they could wrap up the case by the end of the week.
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