A North Dakota jury on Wednesday found Greenpeace must pay hundreds of millions of dollars to a pipeline company in connection with protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
The jury found Greenpeace liable for defamation and other claims and awarded Dallas-based Energy Transfer and subsidiary Dakota Access more than $650 million in damages.
The lawsuit accused Netherlands-based Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA and funding arm Greenpeace Fund Inc. of defamation, trespass, nuisance, civil conspiracy and other acts.
Greenpeace said earlier that a large award to the pipeline company would threaten to bankrupt the environmental group. Following the nine-person jury’s verdict, Greenpeace’s senior legal adviser said the organization's work “is never going to stop.”
The independent global campaigning network has been fighting for a wide array of environmental issues for more than half a century and has a long history of contentious legal battles.
Here are some things to know:
Environmental activists founded the group in Vancouver, Canada, in 1971.
The network's first action was to work to stop more nuclear weapons tests on Amchitka Island in the Aleutian island chain in southwest Alaska. They took a ship toward the island to “bear witness," which is a Quaker protest tradition, but were intercepted by the U.S. Navy, according to the Greenpeace website.
The U.S. later opted to abandon their nuclear testing grounds on the island, marking Greenpeace's first major victory.
During initial work to stop the nuclear weapons tests on Amchitka, Canadian ecologist Bill Darnell was leaving one of the group's meetings when someone held up two fingers and said “peace!” according to Greenpeace’s website.
Darnell, who is considered a founding member of Greenpeace, replied: “Let’s make it a Green Peace.”
The name was condensed into one word so it could fit on buttons for the group's first fundraiser.
Greenpeace describes itself as the largest environmental campaigning organization in the world. It is made up of dozens of independent national or regional organizations in more than 55 countries, according to its website.
Its work to preserve and restore valuable ecosystems and push back on fossil fuel corporations is centered on nonviolent action. Its protests have ranged from efforts to stop Shell from drilling for oil in the Alaskan Arctic to demonstrations to put an end to France's atmospheric tests in the South Pacific to campaigns to conserve Canada's coastal rainforest.
Greenpeace and its activists have also been the target of charges and lawsuits, including in 2023 when four activists were arrested for scaling the country estate of former U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and draping it in black fabric to protest his plan to expand oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. They were later cleared of criminal charges.
It was also one of the environmental groups that filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Willow oil project in Alaska in recent years.
Greenpeace is an independent network that does not take money from governments, corporations or political parties, according to its website. Its funding comes from individual contributions, along with foundation grants.
In 2023, Greenpeace USA had about $40 million in revenue and support, and about $38 million in expenses, according to its online financial statement.
Its website says it does not consider anyone a permanent friend or enemy.
“If your government or company is willing to change, we will work with you to achieve your aims," its website states. “Reverse course, and we will be back.”
FILE - Activists of the environment organization Greenpeace protest against the climate policy of the German government in front of the chancellery, prior to the cabinet meeting in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber,File)
FILE - Members of Greenpeace press conference next to a giant art installation called 'Perpetual Plastic Machine' ahead of Global Plastic Treaty talks Saturday, May 27, 2023 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard,File)
FILE - Protestors demonstrating against the expansion of the Dakota Access Pipeline wade in cold creek waters confronting local police, near Cannon Ball, N.D., Nov. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/John L. Mone, File)
MADRID (AP) — Atletico Madrid held on after an early charge by Barcelona to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time in nearly a decade on Tuesday.
Atletico advanced 3-2 on aggregate despite a 2-1 loss to the Catalan club. Diego Simeone's team had won the first leg 2-0 in Barcelona last week.
Barcelona, trying to return to the last four for the second season in a row, scored twice in the first 24 minutes to even the series, with Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres finding the net.
Atletico struck back still in the first half with a goal by Ademola Lookman.
The Catalan club played a man down from the 79th after defender Eric García was shown a red card for fouling Alexander Sorloth to stop a breakaway.
Atletico had last made it to the semifinals in 2017. Barcelona lost to Inter Milan in last year’s last four.
Atletico will face either Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon in the semifinals. Arsenal won the first leg 1-0 in Lisbon last week. Their second leg in England is on Wednesday.
In the other quarterfinal on Tuesday, defending champion Paris Saint-Germain advanced past Liverpool, winning 2-0 for an aggregate score of 4-0.
Atletico, seeking its first Champions League title, lost in the 2017 semifinals to Real Madrid. It also lost to Madrid in both finals it played against the city rival in the Champions League, in 2014 and 2016.
The game was stopped for several moments near the 70th minute because Atletico defender Matteo Ruggieri sustained a cut on his forehead after being elbowed by Barcelona midfielder Gavi during a dispute for the ball.
Yamal opened the scoring four minutes into the match at Metropolitano stadium, entering the area free from defenders after Atletico lost possession on a passing mistake by defender Clément Lenglet.
With his goal, Yamal became the top Champions League scorer under the age of 19 with 11, one more than Kylian Mbappé.
The visitors added to the lead on the night — evening the tie at 2-2 — in the 24th, with Torres picking up a through ball by Dani Olmo and finding the top corner by the far post.
Fermín López nearly added the third a minute later but his close-range header was saved by Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso.
The hosts struck back in the 31st with Lookman scoring from inside the area in a breakaway after a low cross by Marcos Llorente.
Barcelona thought it had equalized the series again, but Torres’ 57th-minute goal was disallowed for offside.
Defender Ronald Araujo had Barcelona’s last chance but his close-range header in stoppage time went over the crossbar.
PSG kept its title defense on track with a 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield. Ousmane Dembele’s two second-half goals sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory.
Dembele’s first goal killed off Liverpool’s fight as the Premier League club went in search of another famous Champions League comeback. The Ballon d’Or winner swept a low left-footed shot from the edge of the area past goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili to quieten the home crowd.
His second came at the end of a sweeping move in stoppage time.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Barcelona's Eric Garcia, center right, and Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez challenge for the ball during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, center, scores the opening goal during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Atletico Madrid's Nicolas Gonzalez, top, heads the ball during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Espanyol in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Simeone, centre, reacts during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona's Marcus Rashford, left, celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal with Lamine Yamal, right, and Pedri during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Espanyol in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick, right, and Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Simeone react during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal challenges for the ball with Atletico Madrid's Marc Pubill during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
