Standing Rock Media Files at Risk: Minnesota Supreme Court Agrees to Review Unicorn Riot's Win in Court
Breaking News at Censored News
By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, August 8, 2024
ST PAUL, Minnesota -- The Minnesota Supreme Court has agreed to review the win in court of Unicorn Riot media, which protected the internal files of media coverage of the resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Energy Transfer petitioned the higher court to review the decision of the lower court, the Minneapolis Appeals Court. The higher court ruled in favor of Energy Transfer and agreed to the review the case on Tuesday, August 6.
The pipeline owner, which has filed a lawsuit against Greenpeace, Red Warrior Society, and water protectors in North Dakota, wants a privilege log, a document that describes other items that are withheld from production in a civil lawsuit.
The lower court denied Energy Transfer a sweeping collection of Unicorn Riot's internal files, stating those were protected by Minnesota law, the home state of Unicorn Riot.
It is now eight years after the pipeline resistance began, and Energy Transfer has slapped Greenpeace, Red Warrior Society and others with a $300 million SLAPP lawsuit, scheduled for North Dakota State Court in 2025.
Subpoenas as fishing expedition
Greenpeace told Censored News, "Unicorn riot was never named in the lawsuit. They received a third party subpoena, along with many other activist groups and individuals (these folks are not parties to the case; rather, they are third parties that Energy Transfer wants info from in its case against Greenpeace.)"
As previously reported by Censored News, a new development delayed the trial in the lawsuit filed by Energy Transfer against Greenpeace and Standing Rock water protectors.
A "massive document dump" by Energy Transfer resulted in the delay, after the owner of Dakota Access Pipeline began issuing third party subpoenas to water protectors and the media, Greenpeace told Censored News.
Responding to questions, Greenpeace said Red Warrior Society and other water protectors are named in the lawsuit.
"Red Warrior Society is still named in the lawsuit and last week our lawyers presented arguments for why it shouldn’t be (because it is not the sort of entity that can be sued). The two individuals, Cody Hall and Krystal Two Bulls, are also still named, but were never served. (Greenpeace entities are the only ones that were served and are actively litigating)," Bigda told Censored News.
"But it’s bigger than just us."
"Energy Transfer built the infamous Dakota Access Pipeline. You’ll remember that in 2016, Indigenous organizers led one of the most powerful protests in modern history at Standing Rock," Greenpeace USA said on Instagram.
"Now ET claims it was all Greenpeace’s doing? It’d be laughable if it weren’t a lie and racist attempt to erase Indigenous leadership in North Dakota."
"They’re suing to recover so-called 'losses.' But really, this is about bankrupting Greenpeace USA and silencing protesters. This lawsuit would establish dangerous case law allowing corporations to go after bystanders at peaceful protests. The only way to stop this lawsuit is if we generate enough public outrage to force them to drop the lawsuit."
"We demand that 'Energy Transfer immediately drop its $300 million lawsuit against Greenpeace. This lawsuit is a blatant attempt to silence our voices. This lawsuit sets a dangerous precedent, empowering corporate giants to intimidate and silence their critics by suing them for unimaginable amounts using nonsensical/bogus arguments. Help fight back — tell Energy Transfer to drop their meritless lawsuit now."
Unicorn Riot's statement on court victory May 10, 2024
"The Minnesota Court of Appeals issued the attached opinion in Energy Transfer LP v. Greenpeace International, addressing the application of the Minnesota Free Flow of Information Act when asserted in response to a third-party subpoena. We represent Unicorn Riot, a non-traditional media collective that resisted subpoenas from a conglomerate of companies that constructed and own the Dakota Access Pipeline seeking newsgathering materials to support tort claims against several activist organizations and demonstrators."
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