Greenpeace claims that Shell’s lawsuit against it has “backfired” as it has raised over $1million from supporters to fight the case.
In a major threat to the environmental campaigning group’s 50-year history, Shell is suing it for $1m (£790,000) in damages, with costs that could run into the millions.
The legal case follows a protest in January last year in which four Greenpeace activists boarded a platform north of the Canary Islands that was being transported to the Shetland Islands, holding signs stating: “Stop drilling – start paying”.
Greenpeace has now revealed that members of the public have donated over $1 million to help it fight the case, exceeding the amount Shell is demanding in damages.
The environmental group launched the ‘Stop Shell Appeal’ in November last year after the oil giant announced it was taking legal action against it. Greenpeace is being backed by The Anti-SLAPP Coalition in the case.
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The news comes days after Greenpeace and Shell’s legal teams met in court for the first time.
Greenpeace activists demonstrated outside the court prior to the start of the hearing, holding placards reading “Shell will never silence us on the climate crisis” and images of survivors of extreme weather events from around the world.
More than 30 public figures including Emma Thompson, Imelda Staunton and Greta Thunberg have written to Shell criticising its “callous and vindictive” lawsuit against Greenpeace.
Philip Evans, campaigner, Greenpeace UK, said: “Shell thought that a multimillion dollar lawsuit would intimidate us into silence, but the outpouring of public support shows how badly they misjudged this. Ordinary people have had enough of watching Shell make billions in profit from a commodity that’s driving energy bills up and fueling climate disasters around the world.
“The fight is only just beginning. Those in power are doing nothing to hold the fossil fuel giants to account, so we will keep campaigning until Shell and the rest of the industry stops drilling and starts paying for the climate catastrophe they are fuelling around the world. Shell might have deep pockets, but our supporters’ commitment runs deeper still.”
