Greenpeace Statue Protest Aims to Highlight ‘Abusive Lawsuits’

On Wednesday 2 July 2025, activists for Greenpeace Luxembourg placed a symbolic gag on the statue of Grand Duchess Charlotte in Luxembourg-Ville to raise awareness about the growing threat of SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) cases.

Greenpeace Luxembourg reported that the protest coincided with the opening of a landmark trial in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) between Greenpeace International and oil company Energy Transfer. In a press release, the NGO called on the Luxembourg Government to strengthen legal safeguards against such forms of “judicial harassment”.

Campaigner for Greenpeace Luxembourg, Gauthier Hansel, said: “Every year across Europe, dozens of journalists, activists and whistle-blowers face SLAPP suits aimed at silencing them through intimidation. Over 1,000 such cases were recorded between 2010 and 2023 and Luxembourg has not been spared.” She added: “Despite the European Union (EU) adopting a directive in 2024 to strengthen protections, Luxembourg has yet to implement any concrete national measures. As a result, those defending the public interest remain vulnerable to legal intimidation.”

According to Greenpeace, it currently faces multiple SLAPP suits, notably from US-based company Energy Transfer, following protests in 2016 against a controversial pipeline project. After years of legal wrangling, a jury in North Dakota (United States) ordered the organisation to pay over €561 million in damages. In response, Greenpeace International launched a counter-case in the Netherlands, marking the first legal action under the 2024 EU directive. Greenpeace stated that the case seeks both reparation and to send a clear message that “the era of silencing civil society through abusive lawsuits must end”.

Greenpeace also reported that activists gathered outside the Amsterdam courthouse today to mark the opening of the case, where they held a large banner reading “Energy Transfer, welcome to the EU. Here, freedom of expression still exists”. The group expressed their solidarity and defiance against judicial intimidation and noted that the demonstration formed part of a wider day of coordinated actions across more than ten countries, involving around 30 organisations ranging from environmental groups to human rights and press freedom advocates.

“As several European countries step up legal protections against abusive lawsuits, Luxembourg must not fall behind,” Gauthier Hansel emphasised. “Following EU and Council of Europe recommendations, our government must now act decisively. Judges should have the power to dismiss clearly unfounded claims swiftly. Legal aid must be accessible to those targeted and dissuasive financial penalties should apply to corporations that attempt to muzzle civil society. The directive sets the framework - it’s up to each country to turn it into meaningful protection, worthy of our democratic values.”