**"Legal Battle Over Dakota Access Pipeline: Greenpeace Faces $300 Million Lawsuit"**

**The civil suit could have devastating financial implications for the environmental group, as court testimonies begin.**

Lawyers for Energy Transfer and Greenpeace engaged in a contentious exchange in a North Dakota courtroom this week, initiating a civil trial that may lead to the financial collapse of the prominent environmental organization. The lawsuit concerns Greenpeace's involvement in the extensive protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) which took place nearly a decade ago. The pipeline, designed to transport crude oil from North Dakota across several states to Illinois, faced significant delays in construction due to numerous legal challenges and protests back in 2016 and 2017.

The trial kicked off on Wednesday morning in the quiet setting of a Morton County courthouse in Mandan, North Dakota. According to Greenpeace, Energy Transfer is pursuing $300 million in damages, a figure the environmental group argues could be crippling. Energy Transfer, recognized as one of the largest pipeline companies in the United States, claims that Greenpeace's protests cultivated unrest, resulting in significant financial losses from stalled construction, difficulties in securing financing, and increased costs related to security and public relations efforts.

Trey Cox, lead attorney for Energy Transfer, asserted that the company would establish that Greenpeace “planned, organized, and funded” unlawful protests, dubbing this trial a "day of reckoning." In contrast, Everett Jack Jr., representing Greenpeace, presented a comprehensive timeline to counter these allegations, emphasizing that the organization played a minimal role in the protests, which attracted around 100,000 participants to the rural area during peak activism.

As this landmark case unfolds, the implications for both Greenpeace and the broader environmental movement will certainly be watched closely.