{"id":67755,"date":"2024-12-11T07:03:29","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T18:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=67755"},"modified":"2025-06-25T01:35:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T13:35:55","slug":"shell-backs-down-in-its-lawsuit-against-greenpeace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/shell-backs-down-in-its-lawsuit-against-greenpeace\/","title":{"rendered":"Shell backs down in its lawsuit against Greenpeace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Just over a year ago, Shell\u00a0sued Greenpeace UK, Greenpeace International and nine individuals for millions<\/a>\u00a0over a completely peaceful protest. We showed them their bully tactics won\u2019t intimidate us \u2013 and now they\u2019ve backed down and settled out of court.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

And we\u2019ve made sure not a penny of our supporters\u2019 money will go to Shell. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n\n

Why did Shell sue Greenpeace?<\/h2>\n\n

Last year, six Greenpeace activists\u00a0boarded a Shell-contracted ship<\/a>\u00a0in the Atlantic carrying a key piece of equipment to drill for new oil in the North Sea.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

When the protest ended, the only damage Shell could find was a padlock, which, they alleged, the activists broke. That\u2019s it. Yet they came after us with a million-dollar lawsuit, which they justified for their spending on safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

\"Photo
Photo montage showing a huge oil platform on a ship, with a cutaway showing the activists faces close up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

They demanded $1m in damages \u2013 and planned to spend another $10m in legal fees, which we could have had to pay if we lost the case.<\/p>\n\n

For a company that made\u00a0\u00a322.4 billion in profits\u00a0last year alone, this is peanuts. For Greenpeace UK, this would have been one of the biggest threats they\u2019ve faced in our 50-year history.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

But for Shell, this was never about the money. The real reasons behind their suit were revealed when, during early negotiations, the company offered to withdraw the case if we promised never to take action against their rigs, at port and at sea \u2013 forever. The mask slipped. This was a textbook\u00a0SLAPP suit<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 a bullying legal tactic designed to intimidate critics.<\/p>\n\n

How Greenpeace fought back \u2013 and created a PR disaster for Shell<\/h2>\n\n

Thanks to\u00a0our incredible supporters<\/a>, Shell backed down from their unreasonable demands. A sustained, year-long campaign against the suit, supported by celebrities including\u00a0Joe Lycett, Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson, turned the legal move into a PR embarrassment for Shell. The case was\u00a0d\ubbed<\/a>\u00a0the\u00a0\u2018Cousin Greg\u2019 lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0by Forbes after a\u00a0scene<\/a>\u00a0in the Emmy-awarded drama Succession, in which the hapless character threatens to sue Greenpeace to universal dismay.<\/p>\n\n

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