The March 19 ruling from a jury in North Dakota sets a chilling precedent that could erode protest rights in the US.

The lawsuit, filed by Energy Transfer Partners, claimed that the negative publicity aroused by the pipeline protests more than a decade ago has cost the company more than $300 million.

Environmental group Greenpeace has lost a major court case over its involvement in protests in Standing Rock over the Dakota Access Pipeline. A jury says Greenpeace must pay the oil company more than ...