Corporate intimidation of non-profits
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- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
Enbridge and Resolute are intimidating activist organizations in what seems like an attempt to silence them from speaking out about environmentally-destructive projects.
Tell Enbridge, Resolute, and other corporate bullies to stop these obvious intimidation tactics towards non-profit organizations.
A,
This week oil giant Enbridge sent sheriffs to environmental group Stand.earth’s office to seize their computers, furniture, and even office microwave to pay back $14,000 in court costs.
Later the same day, after a huge outcry in the press and on social media, Enbridge switched its tune and stopped the sheriffs from collecting the assets. For a company that had $34.5 billion in revenues last year, chasing down a... measly $14,000 seems like an obvious intimidation tactic designed to silence Stand.earth’s vocal and effective opposition to Enbridge’s pipeline expansion plans.
Tell Enbridge that it's intimidating tactics must stop.
This heavy-handed office raid is just the latest development in a disturbing trend of corporations using the law to intimidate non-profits fighting to protect the climate and communities.
Last year, Resolute Paper Products, Canada’s largest logging company, brought a massive $300 million lawsuit against Greenpeace and Stand.earth for their activism for sustainable forestry. Over 100,000 SumOfUs members stood in solidarity with our friends at Greenpeace and Stand. We heard the good news this Monday that the courts threw the case out, ruling it a SLAPP suit designed to stifle free speech.
And earlier this summer, Energy Transfer Partners, the oil giant behind the Dakota Access pipeline, filed a lawsuit against Greenpeace, Banktrack, Earth First!, and other groups for their opposition to the controversial pipeline.
SumOfUs recognizes the incredible contribution groups likes this make environmental protection, and we know all too well that if we don’t stand up this corporate intimidation and stop these dirty tactics in their tracks, we might be targeted next.
To make sure that corporate interests are not put before the democratic right to speak up in protest, we need to stand strong with each other.
Time and time again, SumOfUs members have stood up for free speech and the right to challenge corporate misbehavior. When corporations got bee scientist Dr. Jonathan Lundgren fired from his job for trying to publish a link between bee die-offs and bee-killing pesticides, you donated tens of thousands of dollars to support his cause. Now it’s time to stand with groups like Greenpeace and Stand.earth and tell these bullies we won’t be backing down.
Thanks for all that you do,
Angus and the team at SumOfUs
Update: Enbridge reverses course on actions to seize assets from Stand. Earth Vancouver offices, Vancouver Sun, October 17 2017
Resolute Forest Products lawsuit against Greenpeace dismissed in court, CBC, October 17 2017
SumOfUs is a community of people from around the world committed to curbing the growing power of corporations. We want to buy from, work for and invest in companies that respect the environment, treat their workers well and respect democracy. And we’re not afraid to stand up to them when they don’t.
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