Greenpeace film tackles free speech concerns

The release centres on Greenpeace's ongoing legal dispute with US pipeline company Energy Transfer

Greenpeace International has released SLAPP Suit, a short film starring Academy Award-winning actor Javier Bardem and Emmy Award-nominated actress Yasmin Finney, aiming to raise awareness of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and their impact on activists, journalists and civil society organisations.

The film dramatises how corporations and wealthy individuals can use legal action to burden critics with lengthy and costly court proceedings, highlighting concerns about the impact such cases can have on freedom of expression and protest.

Film focuses on legal challenges facing activists

The release centres on Greenpeace's ongoing legal dispute with US pipeline company Energy Transfer, which has pursued legal action against Greenpeace entities following protests linked to the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Standing Rock movement.

Greenpeace argues that the lawsuits are intended to discourage activism and impose financial and operational pressures on organisations involved in advocacy and protest activities.

Javier Bardem: "I made this film with Greenpeace because they’re fighting a monumental legal battle about free speech, but really it’s about something much bigger: widespread attempts to silence activism. The type of lawsuits used by pipeline company Energy Transfer are also being used to silence journalists, artists and ordinary people who care about their communities. The question is not why to speak out. But how could we not, if we want to have the same freedom in the future?"

Campaign links legal action to wider free speech concerns

According to Greenpeace, the issue extends beyond environmental activism, affecting journalists, whistleblowers, artists and community campaigners.

The organisation argues that SLAPP lawsuits are increasingly being used as a deterrent against public criticism and civic participation by increasing the legal and financial risks associated with speaking out.

Yasmin Finney: "The right to protest in the UK is a huge battle. People demanding better is what built our country, but increasingly it’s becoming criminalised. Not enough people believe or see that our rights are really under threat, and that’s why we made this film: Greenpeace’s legal fight against Energy Transfer is one example of resistance, but there are many more. Bullies respond to strength and togetherness, and that’s what we need more of right now."

Greenpeace continues legal battles

Greenpeace noted that several major energy companies, including Shell, Total and ENI, have initiated legal proceedings against Greenpeace organisations in recent years. The organisation said some of those cases have since been dismissed or resolved in its favour.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace International continue to challenge a US$345 million judgment linked to Energy Transfer's lawsuit in North Dakota.

European anti-SLAPP case underway

In Europe, Greenpeace International has launched legal proceedings in the Netherlands seeking to hold Energy Transfer accountable under Dutch law and the European Union's anti-SLAPP framework.

The case is being positioned by Greenpeace as a test of recently introduced protections designed to limit the use of lawsuits that seek to suppress public participation and free expression.

Susannah Compton, Head of Programme – Civic Resistance and Freedoms, Greenpeace International: "The global threat of corporate intimidation tactics such as SLAPP lawsuits is an existential crisis for freedom of speech and protest for everyone who dares speak out against the powerful – whether Greenpeace would agree with them or not. If we do not defend our right to resist, we surrender the future to a few oligarchs who see power as a tool for empire rather than a shared responsibility."

Film aims to spark public debate

Through SLAPP Suit, Greenpeace is seeking to broaden public discussion around the use of legal action against activists and advocacy groups, framing the issue as one that extends beyond environmental campaigns to wider questions about democratic participation and freedom of speech.

www.greenpeace.org

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